He is the worst president ever. But we have other issues that are far more important than him playing a game for a bit with some soldiers, because it really doesn't mean anything, in truth, it holds little power.

Now his veto of that child's health care thing, that's something much more important to focus on, for example.

There are plenty of things to criticize Bush about. This doesn't need to be one of them. If you want to spend time talking about all the mistakes and miscalculations Bush has made there is tons of material out there that is actually relevant to the state of the world. Who really cares what Bush's motive in playing games with troops is? It's not nearly as important as the fact that he refuses to see that his Iraq policy has totally failed, he's not doing anything to really help our troops have money and medical care when they come home, he is working very hard to prevent advances in medical fields through stem cell research and he is attempting to make sure that congress cannot extend medical care to children who's parents make enough to live but not enough to actually take them to a doctor. Basically it comes down to
Bush playing video games with troops = unimportannt
Bush's policies and effect on the nation = VERY IMPORTANT.

You know, I'm no "Bushie," but damn, these left-wing nutjobs are every bit as bad as the neo-con-moralist right. It seems like every single thing W does is 'wrong' - even when he's right (for once).

Gaming with injured troops, especially when he's ultimately responsible for putting them there, is never a bad thing. Games have been shown to speed recovery and help with pain managment.

I'm glad the bias is out front, but it's nice to know that GP isn't someone who can't find good in anything the president does.

wow, never thought I would be defending Bush, but I really don't see the problem here.

by the way, middle eastern FPS....COD4?

These days, George W. can't blow his nose without enraging the ire of the liberal mainstream media, while Fox News and Rush Limbaugh defend him as the greatest president EVAR!!!! Is it any wonder my favorite source of news is the Daily Show? And now the writers strike has taken that away from me, the greedy bastards.

@ZeRu - I don't think he is the first gaming president in US history. I'll get back to you if I can prove otherwise =)

If the game session was indeed a military simulation, I bet I can figure out which one it was in 3 guesses. If it was just an entertainment game, then some differentiation needs to be made.

So the president spent some PR time with people directly affected by the Iraq war. So he played some games with them to show a little bit of a human side. So what?

This does not mean that he is evil. It means that he has taken time out of his busy life to show these wounded soldiers that they have not been forgotten.

So the President is a gamer? One more reason for JT to hate Bush... ;)

(Although I seem to recall in the Rolling Stone piece that the interviewer noticed a Bush magnet on the refrigerator in his home, indicating support and thus making him a hypocrite...again. Then again, what else is new?) :P

Personally I see nothing wrong with this. The reaction is way off base, but what I've come to expect from certain groups. We live in the age where not only will some people take issue with actualy policy matter, but will also go out of their way to manufacture issues to complain and scream about.

This blogger is a complete asshole.

@ Zippy

So the fact that cameras were present completely negates any good will present?

I agree with Baron. The pres can hardly go to the bathroom with out a parade of reporters.

Agreed, Austin. Doesn't mean i like Bush, but... yeah.

@ Black Manta

With the amount of dumbed-down language in this article (virtual reality, 'shooting the bad guys,' simulations) JT just might try to subpeona Bush. AGAIN.

And if Bush refused to play a game with the soldiers, these people would be shrieking that he thinks he's too good to mingle with commoners or something...

True, Bush is a horrible president (and that might even be an understatement) but this was pretty cool of him.

E. Zachary Knight

the camera people can be removed from the area.... he can do private visits when he wants to...

Maybe it would be better for Bush to play a game like Wii Sports.

Never really saw Bush as a gamer myself. Much to uptight. Still if he wants a PR shot of his spending time with the recouping troops (that he sent into harms way. He either has big balls [doubtful] or a lack of tact but that is not news with Bush) who is to quibble? So some bloggers did not like it? Those same bloggers bash Bush on a regular basis anyways, he cannot win for losing (and he loses a lot as it is). We have oil prices through the roof, possible war looming in Iran, inflation going nuts (due to said oil prices) and they have a problem with his playing a game? By all accounts even in the blog the games were helpful to the vets, so that should not be the issue. If someone wants to shoot off a few virtual rounds I cannot see the problem there either. In fact I the only problem I see here is the bloggers themselves. They are giving the rest of us a bad name.

Just for the record I hate despise Bush as much as any Democrat and I am a registered Republican. But to get a kink in the pants over his playing a game with them? Anyone renting clues? Obviously those bloggers cannot afford to one of their own.

@some people...

he's not being 'nice' -he's trying to get congress to pass his vets spending bill +make a little bit of positive publicity so it looks like the congress doesn't care about the troops and he's their hero.

The link leads me to a pop-up of a so-called virus-spyware scanner. If you're going to link somewhere, at least check to see if it won't put a reader's computer at risk. :(

Also, the Exit-Stage-Left link only leads to a Daily Telegraph article that contains none of the quotes in this article.

And here I thought Dennis was a critical thinker.

As young people, I'm pretty sure there's a written rule that says we're prohibited from stating we like bush.

That said, if we looked up bush's gamertag, bet you that he hasn't unlocked enough achievments in Iraq to satisfy critics. Y'see, who needs the writer's guild for late night?

@Nightwng

Those soldiers are for the most part citizens of this country too.

I guess Bush was getting with wounded troops to soften his image before his departure, oy. Remember when he said a month or more ago "Childrens do learn"? LOLOLOOOLOLOOL. And I laugh at how 2004 elections pictures on photobucket featured Bush as superior mostly and how John Kerry was a "Cheese-eating Surrender Monkey". Look at that and the consequences of the Bush Administration now, oy.

Yet another example of no matter how horrible, saddening, or tragic a situation, Bush will always be there to stage the most powerful photo ops ever.

Good grief, some idiots will complain about anything. I'm no fan of the president, but for fuck's sake, don't make trouble where there isn't any. Good call, GP.

I think the point is that this war for Bush has always been little more than a video game, so it is more than a little ironic that he would be playing a simulation of it with soldiers that were injured in the real thing.

Anything that Bush does that pertains to this occupation is fair game(so to speak). He personally ordered an invasion that has led to the deaths of over half a million people and the displacement of 2.3 million others. He never gets to "just play a game" during a photo op and have it not be construed as something else cause he is responsible for those soldiers being in that hospital in the first place.

I'm very liberal, I don't like Bush all that much but this blogger is a dumb ass. Bush wasn't claiming to have had the same experience that the wounded/disabled soldiers had. I've played dozens of games don't mean I claim to know what it is like to save a magical land from random evil wizard guy.

There certainly is a lot of hatred for Bush. (Well, that's an understatement.) Unfortunately, I think sometimes people let their distaste for him prevent them from thinking very clearly, and they act a bit absurd as a result. This is one of those cases, in my view.

btw, I'm really glad you guys at Gamepolitics at least admitted your anti-Bush bias. I mean, we have CNN and MSNBC totally denying it.

altho, I'm not endorsing having bias either.

Wow.

The president played a video game.

Who gives a flying fuck

Not to be the spoil sport or nothing, but while one care argue up and down about Bushs time as president, and trust me, I've had more then my fair share of issues with the man. "Cough" Amneisty "Cough". Nor am I pleased with how the war in iraq was handled. To be honest, I felt getting rid of sadam was a good think, questionable justifications not withstanding, but this thing has gone on about 4 years or more longer then I think it should.

That being said, I fail to see why this is something for them to whine about. Theres enough of a hate machine out for bushs head as it is, no need to go and add to it. The man will be out of office in a year or so.

Now the question is, if hiliary gets elected, I wonder how long it'll be before people start to look back on bushs presidancy as "the good old days".

Me, I give it six months tops. once those taxs start hitting peoples pay checks, they'll really start thinking that maybe bush wasn't so bad.

Then again, if someone else gets elected, it might be even worse. I shudder to think what some of the republican canidates might be like, Fundie jerks they are.

Ok, rant over, im done.

ugh. im pretty damn liberal, and i hate bush just as much as the next person whos had to live under him the last 7 years. but come on, there was nothing evil about what he did. he just played some games with soldiers. yet another reason why i dont go to those ultra-extreme-liberal-hippie blogs

I don't really see a news story here.

One thing that has been consistent throughout his misguided presidency is the amount of concern he shows to the troops/families of troops (who have also contacted the white house about not blaming him for the deaths), and so him spending time with the wounded isn't unreasonable.

Though, with the amount of photo op PR stuff that the administration does (even if Bush isn't always aware of it), I'd not be surprised if the games that the soldiers were playing were carefully selected so that he wouldn't come under fire from conservatives for playing a controversial game.

Im not a supporter of bush, i respect him since he is the president of the united states, but i dont respect what he has done for this country, but anything that he does people will always try to put a negative spin on it, honestly as someone else said what would everyone be saying if he refused to play this Iraq Simulation with the Vets, let me guess, the president doesn't want to see the horrors he has caused...

Oh no President Bush is playing murder simulators.

@ Pandralisk,

"Least he can do" = "cockslapping", contradiction much?

Quite.

:)

@Pandralisk

You know, as the son of a korea and vietnam viet, my father is still waiting for an apology from all the liberal activists that called him shit like "Baby killer" and vile crap like that. I don't argue that this war has been perfect, hell, i still think we should have just taken out saddam and his closet supporters and let the country chose it's own path, not stick around for 5 years or more. But to claim that bush showing support for the troops is in some way an insult to them is big words when you consider that at least bush was in the guard, easy duty though it may be, unlike clinton who dodge the draft all together.

When the left starts remembering who it is that gives them the right to Bitch, then maybe i'll listen to them bitching about bush. Till then, it's just more self important hate spewing against the man. I may have no love for bush, he's lost my support for his stance on immigration, but the left is no better. In my eyes, you will forever be far WORSE after what you did to the vietnam vets.

The only problem I have with the article is the term "virtual reality games". WTF? So the prez and some soldiers strapped on some goggles and gloves and flailed their arms about ineffectively?

This is just freaking pathetic. I mean yeah, GWB is one of the worst Presidents in US history. But really, he is showing respect for those who would give their lives for this country. This is the least he can do for those who died for his pointless war.

So basically these bloggers are idiots. There are much more relevant and pressing flaws in GWB Presidency that need to be brought to light. Not wasting their time with this moot bullshit.

@Pandralisk:

First off: LOL.

Seriously though, generalizing all 'conservatives', as you put them, doesn't make you any better than they are. They do the same thing...just not as articulately.

Damnit, couldn't resist.

I wouldn't see any problem with this if it weren't for the stark contrast between Bush playing games with the wounded Vets and cutting funding for their future care as well as trimming down (from numbers that still haven't gone up since before the war) the number of soldiers who can receive monetary compensation for crippling damage, mental or physical or both.

Nothing wrong with bringing a moment of star-struck fun to a few recuperating soldiers; but I hope the president changes his mind about making the Veterans pay the price for his war-funding and other things, or else this will be just another ironic publicity stunt in a growing list of them.

What's with all the bashing? Just because people don't agree with your viewpoint doesn't make them "conservative/liberal" morons.

On second thought, maybe the UN should establish a resolution where all countries can settle their disputes over a game of Big Team Slayer on Halo 3.

*writes to Congress*

Yet again, we have the rhetoric against Bush. Bush is commander-in-chief of the army, making him the highest military official, visiting troops who are wounded to raise overall morale is part of his duty.

@Greg

Wow, conservatism at work. Create an enormous problem by spewing forth an obscene amount of lies, and then support the continuation of the problem by citing reasons that are solely contingent on the problem itself.
Keep "supporting those troops" by forcing them to fight a war on behalf of US contractors and a handful of corporations with ties to the Bush admisinstration. I guess if you say, "I support the troops" and wear a lapel pin on your chest, it really doesn't matter when you read stories about your fellow countrymen getting shot in the face.

There is something seriously wrong with a Commander and Chief who sent the best people in this country to die in a foriegn land for several billion dollars in contracting and oil. The problem becomes worse when some members of the public are too stupid, submissive, or apathetic to see through the lies that were used to push us into this unwarranted and illegal war.

Watching Bush play a game that depicts modern combat, while visiting wounded veterans, is an insult to every person in this country who gives half a rat's ass about the troops. It's sick enough that Bush sent these people die for money; it's even worse when we see a tasteless and disgusting PR attempt like this. You support the troops by withdrawling them from that quagmire, not by tuning into conservative talk radio, wearing a lapel pin, playing games that depict soldiers dieing with wounded soldiers, putting a yellow ribbon on your SUV, or articulating your prima-facie concern in the form of a four word phrase on a daily basis.

I am glad this point was noted.

@Pandralisk

This from the man whose party spent the better part of 30 years attacking the benefits of vietnam vets by trying to give it to illigals and activits?

Hypocrite, party of one.

I will agree that it's time to bring the troops home. I no longer care if iraq tears itself apart. if my eyes, had we really wanted peace in that area, we'd have taken out it's tyrant leader and left it at that, the people would have chosen there own government.

But While one can argue up and down which party really supports the troops, the records is clear. It wasn't conservitives who spat on them coming home from nam. It was liberals.

I fall far short of being a neo con. At worst, i'm a moderate that leans towards conservitism.

But I'm also the son of a solder. Don't you dare accuse me of not supporting the troops, i've been doing that my whole fucking life you Hypocrite.

We can argue all we want about the reasoning or justification for going to iraq, or weather we should have stayed. Personally I'm not hear to argue that. I will say that it's time for the troops to leave, let iraq solve it's own problems.

But to blanket label all conservitives like you have done shows your mentally biased and permantly deluded.

Yet another victim of the Liberal media monopoly. Maybe you should listen to talk radio, least then you'd actually be able to hear both sides of an issue ,biased though it might be.

You know, I think everyone is taking this thing a little out of proportion. He did what every President (except for Clinton) does. He went to see wounded GI's, talked, played games (doesn't matter if it's spades of Call of Duty) and had a photo op. As it stands, all games I've played that are story based have you fighting "bad guys". Frankly, games are like books and movies and would only confuse people if they looked at things and beyond black and white.

It's like; You see that Covenant Grunt there, he's a bad guy, shoot him before he shoots you. Not: well, I wonder if he has a family, if he really believes in what his commanders are fighting for, ect, ect. They aren't supposed to be hugs and cuddles group therapy, but rather a story to be told from the eyes of the character.

People take this way too seriously, what if they just played Uno? I can see it now: Uno shows president's desire to dominate all.

And, FYI, for the record, I did vote for him, because John Kerry scared me me more. And as it stands I don't care who becomes President next, just so long as it isn't Hillary. Frankly, my dad had it right, there should be a "None of the Above" box on the ballots.

Could I possibly hate the USA any more than I do now? It's happened before.

@BlackIce, Dragunov Marksman

The almost coming from,well, there are better ways to get change.

@Yuki


Watch this folks. What we have here in Yuki's response is the typical abstraction of conservative fear-inventing mechanisms. GG, abstracting the actions of a dozen of people three decades ago onto an entire polotical philosophy. I suppose this is what Limbaugh and the other conservative brains do to your thought proccesses: the world becomes a simple tone between the colorful, red/white/blue, conservative Americans (who can do no wrongs) and the evil, communist, Godless liberals. Reality check: you might want to stop listening to your veteran father's rantings about the VA after Nam and realize that an enormous amount of anti-verteran legislation has been endorsed, if not co-signed and passed, by an equal amount of conservatives. Further Reality Check: you would be hard pressed to find a liberal in a high office who openly strikes down veterans and the military. Most people against our troops today are conservatives who send them to die for an unjust cause.


I will label conservative thought as either not able to comprehend fact, inconsistent in theory, ignorant of fact, or obscenely unethical. You're forced into chosing at least one of these properties for your political ideology to remain interally consistent. Not all conservatives choose to pick the same mental flaw. Bush, for example, represents a conservative who is blatantly unethical. He is quite aware he sent over 3,000 people to die for corporate profits, and he was certainly not ignorant of the fact that his administration deliberately lied to congress in the months leading up to war. Unethical conservative legislators, who trick gullible conservative voters like yourself, now are able to send people to die in foreign lands for the benefit of the Commander and Chief's closest buisness partners. Talk about "supporting the troops." That's right! Support those troops! Send them to die in a deserted hole in the middle east for virtually no reason, =D! Flag! Flag! Flag!

As someone who supposedly values the lives of those in our military, watching them be sent to war for a handful of corporations should disgust you outright. But, then again, conservatives simply look to some form of external authority and construct their contemporary values around their favored form of authority.

We watch Bush send these people to die for corporate profits. Then Bush has the nerve, knowing what he did, to play FPS games that depict American soldiers getting shot... WITH wounded soldiers?

Seriously, what the hell. I'm glad someone noted this obscenely disgusting PR attempt by the president.

@ Pandralisk,

I am what you would classify as a right wing nazi.

Trouble is that I am an agnostic bordering on the atheist and that I think of myself as quite a leftist on most issues (except in economic management, this excludes welfare which is a thing to have).

I you would stop classifying the world in the following two categories I might have more respect for you.

CatA: agrees with me on all things: well thought out person.

CatB: disagrees on one or more subjects in a reasonable way or not: ultra conservative christian moron.

You sound like a 12 years old making his wiews of politics, no nuancing, no comparing...

And, seriously, don't drink and post.

Even if here it is "do think and post".

@Pandralisk

You're funny when you call everyone else conservative, you know that? Wait, by your logic, you're a Conservative too, as you're completely unwilling to admit you can, will or are wrong on any topic.
Which, in calling Yuki a conservative because of the apologies her father deserves, you are most certainly wrong.

^

Is a registered nutjob.

Or troll.

Do you think the governement is that powerfull? The CIA tried for decades to get rid of Fidel Castro.

@Yuki

Your father is owed many apologies, but those fuckers are too cowardly to apologize and too lazy to do their own research, so it won't be coming.

As all soldiers do, we respect those who came before us.

@Anonymous

But then, Fidel Castro is invincible. And it's the CIA, after all.

@Anonymous

Same techniques. Granted, every agency does the same thing, so I suppose there was one in the beginning.

@Pandralisk

it would appear that the only one incapable of understanding logic and reason is you buddy.

Nothing personal, but attacking others for your own faults, doesn't help your cause.

You spent 2 days?

And I think i'm strange.. Idiocy blows pre-monitions out of the water..

"Ben, you are a complete idiot.
Congratulations on being both stupid enough to fall for the 9/11 ‘conspiracy theories’ as well as being completely uninformed on the effects of PTSD."

pwnd in the face.

And here I thought that conservative and liberal were terms applied to a person's stance on the Constitution.
That Republicans want smaller Federal government, lower taxes, and a true free market economy, favoring the rights of the states to set their own laws (Interestingly, there is no federal right to vote, simply an amendment to the constitution that says everyone can vote regardless of gender or color), while the democrats are in favor of a government that does more for the people than simply defend or start wars.


But somehow these stances have become almost interchangeable, conservative republicans and liberal democrats. Not to mention that there is now an extremely heavy-handed Christian ideology behind the republican party, which keeps trying to ban abortions and punish homosexuality on a governmental level.

Moderates have been sidelined and compromise has become difficult to reach, with state-level parties working to change voting districts to marginalize voters of the other side, influencing the electoral college, house, and senate at the national level.

As a liberal Democrat, I don't think conservative Republicans are bad or stupid, and I sometimes shake my head at the stupidity of 'my party'.

It's politics that has been broken by extremists, and so we get polarization that puts a President on trial for a sex scandal that had no influence on his job, but a President who lies to congress and the American People, who drags Colin Powell's name and reputation in the mud, who puts more cronies and lobbyists and defense contractors in his staff than any other President in history... goes unchallenged because the party in power when this would have mattered was all too willing to hate the Democrats rather than taking a critical look at the issues.

The game is now about image over fact and emotion over analysis.
We're looking at actors, paid to say things or so guided by belief that they cannot seek compromise.

Shrub himself is wrapped in insulation, and only goes to events where there will be support for him. In visiting the soldiers, he is playing the role of caretaker in chief. While it may be insulting to the soldiers (depending on one's viewpoint), it is probable that he is insisting on seeing the damage done, and doing all he can do at this point to show his concern without compromising his image and admitting that all the misery and mishandling and corruption of the Iraq war was a mistake.

God, I am so tired of hearing people railing against President Bush. The man is doing the best he can in a bad situation. If President Carter had actually supported the Shah of Iran, and President H.W. Bush disposed of Saddam in the first gulf war, the ongoing conflict in Iraq (The War was WON, we toppled the army of Iraq, people really need to look up what a War is. ) would never have been necessary had we dealt with them when it would have been justifiable.

President Bush has done a great deal for the economy (those reviled tax cuts have spurned investment in the stock market, which ultimately lead to new jobs in new markets), health care for senior citizens (Medicare part D), and a number of other accomplishments which have been completely twisted with this dogged partisan narrative that Bush is an "Idiot" and "Corrupt".

:: Sighs. :: Sorry for the rant. I am entitled to my opinion, as you all are.

In the future, I hope we can continue to keep and eye out for issues concerning the gaming industry without dragging in unrelated, and decidely controversial issues. We are all gamers, and we are subject to dangerous stereotypes and bias. Until the day where people like us roam the halls of Capitol Hill or God willing, the White House; we must remain vigilant and united in allowing our beloved pastime (livelyhood for some) from being targeted by ignorant journalists, pseudo-scientists, and politicans.

God damn liberals (I count my self among them). Although I have to say The White House did word it kinda weird. Come on. It makes it sound like he was actually picked up a gun and fought in Iraq. But other then that I do not see their point. HE WAS ENTERTAIN THE TROOP. There are some many other things he has done wrong. Why make up one?

----------------------------------------------------
@John

"President Bush has done a great deal for the economy...”

Are we living the same country? Did you see the sharp market self of last week? The dow was down a record 250 points almost 1% (note I think it like .5 correct me if I wrong). This actually happen not once but twice. It has not been that low for 2 years. The tax cut have lead to a record deficit. Also they have devalued the dollar to the point where it is now lower the Canadian dollar. Also the housing market is slipping. Our Economy is not well and comparing it to per Bush Administration it a lot worse.

"If President Carter had actually supported the Shah of Iran, and President H.W. Bush disposed of Saddam in the first gulf war, the ongoing conflict in Iraq (The War was WON, we toppled the army of Iraq, people really need to look up what a War is. ) would never have been necessary had we dealt with them when it would have been justifiable."

First of Carter did support the Shah. We were watch Ayatollah Khomeini and when the Shah was deposed, in 82, he was actually over here get a heart transplant. Yes we did "win" the war. I will give you that. But we did not stabilize the country we made it worst. Further more I really don't see what Iran and Saddam have to do with each other. They FOUGHT A WAR THEY WEREN'T BEST FRIENDS. I could go on but I will stop here. I don't not feeling like give a history lesson. As it will bore you all.

------------------------------------------
Sorry GP I had to responded to that post.

@John

"God, I am so tired of hearing people railing against President Bush. The man is doing the best he can in a bad situation."

He's the one who PUT us in that situation, and if this is his "best" than bloody Christ...we.are.fucked. That is some "best."

[...] So tonight, I will be getting into the multi-player part of the game, taking a little time off from Battlefield 2, which by the way is probably the game Mr. Bush was playing with the troops. It’s the only game we can think of around here that allows players to “shoot the bad guys” in the Middle East and “simulate riding in a car or boat.” I just don’t know that I’d call a 2 year old game “cutting edge virtual reality games”. [...]

Well, it all depends on what George's real intentions were. If it was just a chance to boost PR, then I think it's incredibly retarded he would play a game that simultes how the soldiers were wounded, "shooting the bad guys." On the other hand, if this was just a heart felt thing, then good for him, gaming with some fellow soldiers making light with the use of indirect dark humor. "Oh, haha, I just team killed the president, guess I'm going to jail."

thanks for the GREAT post! Very useful...

I can't believe that people are bitching about Bush playing a fucking game! He was just playing a game with some of our Troops who are American Heroes.

btw, I think I am the only person here who likes Bush...