Video games - The Political Machine

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	Video games - The Political Machine

The Political Machine is a strategic-political computer game from Stardock, in which you lead a campaign to elect the President of the United States. You accomplish your goal by traveling from state to state and engaging in a variety of activities to either raise money or raise poll numbers.

Each game starts with the selection of a pre-created candidate or creation of a fictional candidate from one of the two major American political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.

You can build upgradable headquarters in each state, which serve as the main producers of money for your campaign. For short-term boosts in funds, you can hold a fundraiser (the effectiveness of which is based on the wealth of the state you hold it in, and your approval in that state).

When enough money is accumulated you can "invest" it in advertisements (either through newspapers, radio, or TV mediums). The effectiveness of these ads are determined by several factors. An ad supporting tax cuts will work better with Texas Republicans than with Massachusetts Democrats.

A key factor in the game is the concept of "Stamina" and "Turns." In each turn (representing one week), a candidate has a set amount of stamina to engage in activities. For example, establishing or upgrading a campaign HQ costs more stamina than creating a newspaper ad.

Candidates

Basic Candidates

Democrat

Bill Clinton
Hillary Clinton
John Edwards
Al Gore
Jeffory Jackson (Fictitious character possibly based on politician and 1984 and 1988 presidential candidate Jesse Jackson)
John Kerry
Chloe Sullivan (Fictitious character from the TV series Smallville)
Tom Vilsack

Republican

Barbara Bush
George H. W. Bush
George W. Bush
Laura Bush
Dick Cheney
Mike Forbes (Fictitious character possibly based on 1996 and 2000 presidential candidate Steve Forbes)
Bill Mason (Although there is a Bill Mason, he is not related to politics. The computer game character is based on the 1996 Republican presidential Nominee Bob Dole)
Condoleezza Rice
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Unlockable Candidates

These Candidates have to be defeated by a member of the opposite party in Campaign Mode in order to unlock them.

Democrat

Wesley Clark
Jimmy Carter
Bill Richardson
Dick Gephardt
Lyndon B. Johnson
Woodrow Wilson
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Thomas Jefferson

Republican

William Taft
Gerald Ford
Ulysses S. Grant
Richard Nixon
Theodore Roosevelt
Ronald Reagan
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for The Political Machine ]

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