Presidential campaign contributions by game industry heavies

by Alexander Sliwinski { Oct 2nd 2008 at 2:30PM }

With just about a month before the United States picks its next president, GamePolitics has posted a piece on the presidential campaign contributions made by industry big-shots. Would you have guessed that Spore designer Will Wright was a McCain supporter?

Turns out a lot of industry folks listed in the piece are leaning towards Obama, with thousands of dollars in contributions heading to the Democratic nominee. With some major executives contributing only a few thousand dollars to Obama's campaign, it's interesting to note that two of the biggest spenders are Star Wars mogul George Lucas with $33,100, and not far behind him, Harmonix (Rock Band) CEO Alex Rigopulos with $32,900. The ever-updated list can be found at GamePolitics.

Tags: election, gamepolitics, mccain, obama

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

PhilipWPerna @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:52PM

If the American people nominate McCain and Palin, I'm moving to Canada.

macgyver @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:34AM

and i'll help you pack.

Phylicus @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:06AM

Does this mean you're coming with?

Jeff @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:45PM

Game industry people don't usually come off as stupid.

But after playing Spore, I'm not surprised by Will Wright's choice.

Orenthol @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:18PM

Supporting McCain or Obama is just as stupid as the other :x

Miguel @ Oct 2nd 2008 5:00PM

@jeff, you're an idiot, Will Wright's a genius.

Leobebes (BDF: Braid Defence Force) @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:28PM

I find it ironic that Will Wright, who has developed a game recreating evolution, has contributed to the candidate from the party who's platform believes evolution is a lie.

Leobebes (BDF: Braid Defence Force) @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:22PM

@chispito

Come on dude now you are being disingenuous you are lying to yourself so you can justify McCain's pick of Palin.

Why do you think Palin was chosen? Because she is qualified? Because her foreign policy experience rivals that of a Kissinger? Because she admires Warren Buffet's portfolio and her favorite book is "Leviathan" so therefore she brings economic insight to the ticket?!

No the reason the VPILF was picked was to rally the social conservative base. The social conservative base loves the following things and hopes to;

1. Overturn Roe v Wade

2. Teach ID (creationism lite) as a competing theory in SCIENCE classrooms.

3. Deny the 14th Amendment to gay couples

4. Sustain Abstinence only programs as the prioritized sex ed program

5. Uphold quasi theocratic principles within local, state, and federal government.

Palin's past remarks and associations with these principles is well documented in fact they rally behind her reputation as a social conservative. Please don't dilute this fact by posting articles that further muddy the GOP's intent.

We have had 8 years of this Constitutional hijack by the GOP enough is enough!!!!!

chispito @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:18PM

Leo-

First: You replied to the wrong comment.

Second: What am I lying to myself about? What did I say except that the following are not only unsupported by evidence, they are contradicted by evidence.

1) Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution, or has a problem with it being taught in schools

2) People who believe in a Creator would probably oppose Spore.

D_Average @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:46PM

But does McCain support Spore??

MowDownJoe @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:49PM

Palin certainly doesn't.

chispito @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:12PM

Is that some sort of sneering inside joke that I'm supposed to get? I must have missed the memo about Palin's gaming politics.

marklar @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:14PM

yeah chispito, it's a joke - Palin doesn't believe in evolution

copa @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:15PM

Come on. Even Sarah Palin would have gotten that joke.

D_Average @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:23PM

Though she doesn't believe in it, I would love to hear her walk through the "theory of evolution" with Katie Couric.....

chispito @ Oct 2nd 2008 6:49PM

Link?

Believing in creation is not the same as disbelieving evolution. Besides, remember, it is the atheists who dislike Spore for its ID overtones.

chispito @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:17PM

Look, to emphasize my point, you'll recall that Will Wright said that from his focus groups, it was a subset of atheists who had a problem with Spore, not any of the religious games. Joystiq post: http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/militant-atheists-up-in-arms-over-spores-sim-religion/

Further, Palin has not said that she does not believe in evolution, but that she believes in a Creator. The quotes you guys have read on left-leaning sites were taken out of context. Essentially, she was explaining why there should be no litmus test for a science teacher. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gV5jvU52RD3WBflzbmSu5l6zwOqAD92V3VQG0

So, we have evidence that Palin does not claim to be a scientist, and that atheists are the more likely group to oppose the theology of Spore.

Seriously, the groupthink and rampant misinformation in this thread is approaching Digg levels.

Matt @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:46PM

While I hate McCain and Giuliani... I am an economic conservative... If Will Wright is one as well then he would have confirmed my suspicions that he is the coolest nerd ever.

Marty @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:54PM

I was disappointed that Wright contributed to those clowns. It seems wrong to me that the guy behind games like SimCity, The Sims, and Spore, which are all very progressive in their design and idea, would back people who aren't progressive at all. It's a shame, really.

offday @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:24PM

Says who? Some random guy on the internet named Marty? Wright just scored points in my book by not being a Obama supporter.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:32PM

"Clinton was accused of using Afghanistan to divert attention away from the Lewinsky scanda"

Physician, heal thyself. Clinton actually bombed a pharmaceutical plant in the Sudan, creating an ongoing humanitarian crisis. Not Afghanistan. And it was based on some of the same faulty intelligence that led to the Iraq war.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:38PM

"McCain voted for increased deregulation.."

Gramm-Leach-Biley was signed by Clinton and voted for by Democrats as well. Sarbanes-Oxley INCREASED MONITORING OF COMPANIES YOU OBAMA SHILL.

What McCain did do relevant to Fannie & Freddie was cosponsor a bill in 2005 to regulate them. From 2003 onwards there were numerous bills pitched by Republicans to regulate these corporations as they were worried about the impact of the subprime mortgages. Democrats fought this tooth and nail:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL36nwCSYUM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPSDnGMzIdo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O6iEoGgQFc

If you will not educate yourself, you have only yourself to blame.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:46PM

"Are you denying that six targets were bombed in Afghanistan as well as the Al-Shifa plant bombing in Sudan? "

Are you denying that Bill Clinton created the Sudan crisis?

Are you denying that those strikes were completely ineffective?

Are you denying Osama bin Laden directly stating that the US refusing to respond to his provoking attacks around the world led to 9/11?

Marty @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:46PM

What do you mean, "says who"? I didn't state anything that hasn't already been factually proven. Unless you think McCain and Giuliani are progressive, which by the very definition of conservatism, they are not.

Linkario @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:47PM

So what if Will Wright doesn't want our country to fall into the Socialist category.

Capitalism for the win.

Beatz @ Oct 2nd 2008 4:16PM

Longest. Reply thread. Ever.

Haggard (Mr.ESC died for our sins) @ Oct 2nd 2008 6:13PM

You should see the two page reply-flamefest over LittleBigPlanet.

I think towards the end people were downvoting Jakka even if he posted a neutral opinion.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:48PM

It baffles me how people can 'hate' McCain and the Republicans when this whole economic crisis is the fault of the Democrats, Obama is on record as the biggest recipient of money from the companies behind the financial crisis, and the Democratic Congress has a lower approval rating than Bush himself.

joeasd @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:14PM

Didn't the Republicans reject the last bill? And by the way, isn't Bush a Republican?

Matt @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:59PM

Yeah thats true... Democrats are a major part of the whole financial meltdown. But I can't support McCain because of his foreign policy, lack of respect for civil liberties and supporting FISA, and his campaign finance reform. But the same can be said about his opponent.

Marty @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:00PM

How can people hate Republicans? Look at what our country has become over the last 8 years, 6 of which the Republicans had complete control over all three branches of the government, and ask yourself that question again.

-We've started war with two countries, and are practically on the brink of it with North Korea and Iran

-We've been attacked by a terrorist organization

-Our economic ship is sunk

-We've severed a lot of good relations with other countries

-We've taken many social steps backwards by enforcing abstinence-only sex ed, and "No Child Left behind"

-The executive branch of the government has made a dangerous power grab

-Efforts have been made to further infuse religion into our country's constitution

-Bogus propaganda networks has been accepted as sources mainstream news (Fox News, Clear Channel, etc.)

And I'm sure there's much, much more. Compare that to the economic prosperity and (OMG!) a sex scandal, and I'd *gladly* take another 8 years of Clinton / Democratic reign.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:05PM

- Obama and the Democrats support FISA
- McCain lists his campaign financing on his website. Obama conceals his, and is currently under criticism for the large number of foreign contributions he is accepting
- At least McCain understands foreign policy. Those claiming we're "about to enter war with North Korea and Iran" are simply fearmongering. We don't have the troop levels, and nobody is anywhere near going to war.
- Obama is a devout Christian and considers separation of church and state a less important issue than McCain
- It amazes me that people claim Fox News is a problem when the mainstream media such as MSNBC has a clear pro-Obama bias
- Clinton was the prime architect of the current financial crisis, as he expanded the CRA and the scope of Fannie & Freddie, and urged (you can watch him on YouTube) Democrats to resist any regulation of these corporations

Get your head out of the sand. Giving control of two branches of our three-branch government to the party that got us into this mess, who lied about getting the US out of Iraq, and who want to spend MORE federal money - that's insane, particularly considering they will be packing the courts. You want the party of failure to control all three branches of government?

Courtney @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:05PM

I personally like McCain, but oppose enough of his views and policies to not want to vote for him.

As for your asertations:

1. Both candidates (and parties) have financial and personal ties to a variety of institutions involved with the current financial crisis.

2. The development of this crisis has been decades in the making and both parties bear heavy responsibility for supporting the deregulation and gutting of safeguards to avoid such a situation. Given the Republicans are the traditional advocates of deregulation, I tend to put more weight on their shoulders, though certainly not all of it.

3. Congress has a lower approval rating than Bush, that includes Democrats and Republicans. The approval rate isn't tied to who has a majority. The approval rate wasn't exactly stellar when the Republicans were in charge, which is why voters removed many of the Republicans from office two years ago, turning the majority over to Democrats.

If you want to make mindless fanboyism claims about your favorite console, feel free. But try to think and apply some rational analysis to economics and politics.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:06PM

And incidentally, we were attacked by terrorists more often under Clinton than we have been during the Bush administration. The difference is that Clinton pulled back (something Osama bin Laden actually said emboldened him).

Marty @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:09PM

Bass Masterson - I've never heard of anyone "fearmongering" against war, but I guess you are entitled to have your own opinion about these sorts of things, however baseless, stupid, and ridiculous it might seem to the rest of us.

I'm not going to respond to the rest of your post - it's so wrong it doesn't deserve any kind of validation a response might lend it.

Haggard (Mr.ESC died for our sins) @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:10PM

The US is one of the most conservative countries in the world and frankly I don't think it's working.

Here in the UK our Conservative party is about as right-wing as your Democrat party, whilst your Republicans have a similar ideology to some of our minor extreme-right parties.

Socially, the only countries on a similar level of conservatism to the US are in the middle-east..

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:10PM

1. The Democrats took 57% of the contributions from these companies. That's a majority. The Democrats proudly fought regulation of these companies while Republicans tried to enact regulation. Don't claim both are the same. They're not.
2. Of course you put more weight on Republicans, because you're willfully ignorant of the facts. I suggest you go to YouTube and watch the numerous CSPAN recordings showing Republicans trying to regulate the companies behind the crisis, and Democrats like Barney Frank & Clinton frantically acting to STOP regulation. You only think Republicans are against regulation because that's the story you've been sold.
3. Congress' approval rating fell after Democrats took control on the lie that they would end the Iraq war, then proceeded to approve almost every single bill that came their way. Remember when Pelosi was supposed to lead a revolution?

I am applying logic and reason to my political decision. You are an Obama/Democrat fanboy who will not look at the facts right in front of your face.

zuburi @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:13PM

Marty:

Don't bother. It's no-win; akin to arguing with a child that plugs his fingers in his ears. This is why I refuse to register under a single party.

/out before shitstorm

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:15PM

LOL, I'm the only one here citing sources and providing facts, and the children still keep saying "there's no use arguing". You're right, there isn't any use arguing. This nation doesn't want responsibility or a leader. You want OBAMA IN BLUEJEANS!

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:17PM

Democrats have the majority in Congress. They could have passed the bill without Republicans. They didn't want to because then if it failed, they were left holding the bag. They wanted a scapegoat to blame, just like they are blaming "Republican policies" for the failure of the institutions they created, deregulated, and profited from.

Jack of No Trades 85 @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:19PM

Bass

Your a idiot. I honestly cannot believe people still trust Republicans after these 8 year.

Man there is way too many stupid fucking people in this world.

*Starts counting down to 2012*

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:20PM

"Your a idiot. I honestly cannot believe people still trust Republicans after these 8 year."

I'm an idiot? I know more than you about the current situation. What does that make you?

Maverick Saturn @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:20PM

The republicans created this mess in the first place ¬_¬ Obama's spending is nothing comapred to the amount spent on war all down to nobody but ta da! The republicans. Bass accept it :)

Marty @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:21PM

"I am applying logic and reason to my political decision. You are an Obama/Democrat fanboy who will not look at the facts right in front of your face."

I never said I was voting for Obama. Is that your logic and reason in action as well?

It doesn't take a fanboy to see what has happened here. We were doing well 8 years ago. Then we had a government controlled by Republicans, and now we're not doing so well. If you can't see the cause and effect there, I might have to say you're more willfully ignorant than anyone else.

Bass Masterson @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:24PM

"It doesn't take a fanboy to see what has happened here. We were doing well 8 years ago. Then we had a government controlled by Republicans, and now we're not doing so well"

You know, I didn't put gas in my car this morning. I drove past a black cat, and my car stopped working. Obviously it was the black cat!