I don't really think Obama was saying that watching ANY tv or playing ANY video games was bad, just that many people today do it too much. That seems like a reasonable statement, many parents let their kids be fat and lazy it seems.

I don't see it as a swipe at video games or TV. I think back to when I was a kid (which was a very long time ago) and my parents forced me to go play outside. Its just something kids need to do to properly develope. Its good exercise for the body and for the kid in general. Also to many parents today just sit the kid down in front of the TV/video game and expect it to raise their kids. Parents need to interact more with their children (they can actually do this with video games if they wanted)

Its would be nice to see Gamers refered to in a manner that doesn't include fat/lazy/psychotic, but Obama's point is fair in context.
The trouble is seen here in the UK, when kids are motivated to go outside, and then accused of gang culture when they stand on the street corners with nothing to do.
noise deterant for teens 'mosquito' :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/4415318.stm

The death of youth clubs, and active areas, sports club support leaves the youth of today with little to do away from their TV's than wanton bored misbehaving.
If your telling people to leave their homes, you need to give them somewhere to go, and not punish them for going.

@Shoehorn

or maybe "football" isn't as relavent of a word as "video game" is to Obama's core audience: young voters.

and it is far less relavent to use football when you put it all in context: children need education to include activism.

Obama had time in the speech for two examples, why not use the two most popular examples of entertainment in the world?

dosen't really bother me wat he said.

I think that Obama was saying that games and TV should never be the most important, they shouldn't replace education, self development and so on. In that regard he's right. Take a stupid kid raised by parents with zero ambition, give him an Xbox and the chances of him reading a book take a nosedive.

"If you can spin this to “games R evial!!!!11? then help you need….."
or a attack on them...

Muninn

My point is he has not said anything to he point that he wants to ban or censor or thinks games are bad, he has said you should get out more,and thats not a attack.

@Zippy
I don't even really care about the comment anymore. I didn't think it was that big of a deal to begin with. GP saw a political figure reference video games, reported it, and all of the Obama people were up in arms. I was reacting to the people who were so vociferously defending Obama by attacking GP for no reason aside from him being Obama. The same comment from another figure would have passed relatively unnoticed.

I do have to say that as far as any dissing going on, it's still a drop in the bucket compared to any of the other candidates. I agree that games take time, however you often learn more from them then pitching.

Clan based CTF tourneys, Molten Core raids, these things also build teamwork as much as sports. Let's face it, you say that baseball is about teamwork, but only to a very limited degree compared to hockey, basketball, or football. That doesn't mean that we are all going to diss baseball now.

Games are much more then hand eye coordination. As a common failing, when many people think of games, they instead think of A game, singular, and work with that. Yeah, a stand alone solo FPS may teach you hand eye coordination, and map navigation (you'de be surprised at how important that is when you start doing city travel), but those aren't the only games. Voip during games aren't just for 13 year olds to see how many cuss words they can fit in a sentance. Some people use it for coordinating their teams, hence leveling up their verbal comunication skills. Puzzle games teach problem solving. Most of the RPGs have an high school reading level, often much higher. And games like Dragon Quest VIII teach Advanced Differential Calculus... ok, but it at least teaches advanced algebra. This was how people figured out that a sword you got near the beginning of the game was actually the second strongest sword at the end of the game, after you took into account bonuses, enemy defenses, varying levels, strength, etc...

In short, while anything without moderation is dangerous, video games as a medium have their own set of benefits, from a love of history to being (Romance of the Kingdom) able to think quickly on your feet (most of them).

Even though he has been saying these kinds of things for a couple of years now, I wonder if bringing up the subject again might be moving a bit toward the center in attempt to pull votes away from Sen. Clinton. If that's the plan, I think it might end up being a mistake since so many young people have come out in support for Sen. Obama, and his idealistic message has driven them into politics where they might not have been interested otherwise.

I think it's better to wait until after the DNC, and his nomination is secure to try a strategy like this. Otherwise, he might end up alienating a part of the base that he has been appealing to.

@Evan

well, for the most part we don't disagree with the fact that children shouldn't play violent games either.

it's the HOW that usually gums up the discourse.

As I said in the last artical covering this story.

People are like this because we been slammed around so hard and so long. It's kinda make us feel a litttle sensitive. Like a cornered animal lashing out.

Well, urm... this guy needs a bit of reading comprehension?

@Paul,

Thanks for the response. Maybe there are additional quotes that I have missed, but I disagree that he was in fact making an either/or situation, at least based on the original quotes that I have seen.

Personally, I am 21 years old and I've grown up with TV, internet, and games. I know at least in my personal history that there have been times that I can look to where those have gotten in the way of my education. What he said resonated with me because of those memories.

I sincerely agree that internet and television inspire political involvement (and education for the matter), I know I wouldn't have nearly as much information and interest without those. I thought he was speaking to those times when we are wasting time with television, internet, and games. We all waste time with these, and it seems to me Obama was talking about that.

I don't think it was a total condemnation of any of them. Its a condemnation of the time we all waste surfing the web or the channels, when there is something more productive we can do.

In the end, I am truly glad to see your are an Obama supporter, because I am too! I also appreciate your response, it is very rare to get a reply for me, especially from the direct source of the article.

I disagree with Obama on more than a few things. His Health Care plan, for example, is inferior to Clinton's no matter how you slice it. However, I still intend to vote for him in the PA primary. He stirs a feeling in me that has been rotting in the bottom of my soul since the 2000 election. Everytime I hear him speak he actually makes me feel proud to be an American again.

Proud to be an American. God, I'd thought I'd never say that again.

For that alone, Obama not only gets my vote, but I would gleefully soak my body in gasoline and light myself on fire if he asked me too. I'm Obama's prison bitch and damn proud of it.

Actually, Obama was talking about how PARENTS should parent, if anyone would be offended, I'd think parents would be. He was saying that part of the reason our kids are so god-awful is because parents aren't doing their job well enough and aren't limiting TV and video game usage as opposed to instilling a desire for a good education, whatever that means. I've never liked that line personally, but he's better than Clinton and McCain.

People should perceive it has it is. Its none of his damn business what people do in their own homes. Every household is personal and has no part for him or the government for making any statement about what people should do or shouldn't do in their own homes. That includes parents too!!!! He isn't going to tell me how to run my damn household and he doesn't need to comment on it!