Play the Vote

This late in the election game, we know where the candidates stand when it comes to key issues like the war, the economy and immigration. But despite several major debates, there is a severe paucity of information out there regarding how the frontrunners intend to deal with the intertwining topics of violent media and free speech - and even less when it comes to video games.

In fact, the only time the candidates were directly asked how they would respond to potential video game legislation came courtesy of the non-partisan organization Common Sense Media. In a recent questionnaire, they asked both Democratic and Republican candidates if they would support legislation that would keep violent games away from kids, and what strategies they would employ to ensure that retailers complied with the law. Not all candidates chose to answer, but those who did supply gamers with some valuable insight into how their vote might change the way they play.

So it's time to get educated. Here's where six key candidates stand on the issue of video game legislation.

Democrats

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Hillary Clinton

The former First Lady has long been a thorn in the side of gamers. She first stepped into the ring back in July of 2005 to weigh in on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas "Hot Coffee" scandal, calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the source of the objectionable content and determine whether the game's Mature (M) rating should be changed to Adults Only (AO). Clinton went one step further by proposing legislation that would penalize retailers for failing to enforce the ratings rules of the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board).

Eventually, this would evolve into the Family Entertainment Protection Act (FEPA), a joint effort by senators Clinton, Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Evan Bayh (D-IN). FEPA would have effectively criminalized the sale of adult-rated games to children and created an independent committee to monitor the ratings themselves, but was ultimately struck down as being unconstitutional for attempting to circumvent the First Amendment by passing off the findings of a private entity (in this case, the ESRB) as federal law.

One year after introducing FEPA, Clinton and Lieberman struck a decidedly different tone by appearing with the ESRB in a series of television ads promoting the ratings system. For a time, it seemed the game industry and its most outspoken democratic critic were on the same side.

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As outlined in her response to the CSM questionnaire, it's clear that Senator Clinton not only would support laws keeping ultra-violent video games away from children, but would actively work to protect kids from violent games.

The verdict?
Despite her good intentions, Hillary's scary track record might be enough to dissuade gamers from putting another Clinton in office.

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Barack Obama

The upstart Illinois Senator has come out several times on the side of technological freedom, particularly in the cases of Net Neutrality and changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Still, he made a minor statement by turning down a $500 donation by former Entertainment Software Association president Doug Lowenstein, although he never cited a specific reason.

His stance on gaming is best summed up by his response to the CMS questionnaire. Before attempting to legislate, Obama believes the industry can do a better job policing itself.

"I would call upon the video game industry to give parents better information about programs and video games by improving the voluntary rating system we currently have," he said. "But if the industry fails to act, then my administration would."

So what exactly does that mean? At the moment, Obama is less convinced of the causal relationship between violent games and violent behavior and proposes further study. "We need to understand the impact of these new media better" said the Senator. "That's why I supported federal funding to study the impact of video games on children's cognitive development."

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The verdict?
Obama is more skeptical of how violent games affect behavior than his rivals, and in turn seems less inclined to legislate right off the bat. That should ring true with gamers.

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

John Edwards

An avid proponent of virtual world campaigning, John Edwards has been quicker to embrace the gaming crowd than his peers. He was the first to open up campaign headquarters in Second Life, as well as being the first victim of virtual campaign headquarter harassment.

And unlike his fellow Democrats, Edwards cautiously applauds the ESRB's recent efforts to improve its process. From the CMS survey:

"The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a good example of industry responsibility, and I support its ratings program, guidelines for responsible advertising practices, and outreach to game manufacturers and retailers."

Don't take that for a green light, however; Edwards is quick to point out that while the FTC reports a decrease in the likelihood that an underage gamer will be able to purchase an adult game, it's still not good enough.

"If the industry does not continue to make progress in keeping video games with intense violence and adult content away from children, we will need to consider further steps to ensure that parents' decisions about their children's exposure to these games are not being undermined by retailers, advertisers and manufacturers," he said.

The verdict?
Edwards is the only candidate willing to outright commend the ESRB's actions, and while he tempers that with a warning, he puts more trust in the industry than anyone else. If you favor the ESRB, you likely favor Edwards.