(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is taking advantage of her retirement to produce educational video games about civics. It’s the kind of noble gesture you’d expect from a life-long public servant. We’ve previously described some of her organization’s early outings as impressive “infotainment.”
It’s too bad her most recent success is fundamentally wrong.
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As the ABA Journal notes, her smash success of the season, Win the White House, was played more than a million times in October. Here are the lessons it purports to teach about running for president:
Students playing a video game called Win the White House try to amass more than 300 electoral votes, raise money for campaign events, stay on message and avoid mudslinging.
“Avoid mudslinging”?
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Time to go back to the drawing board, Justice O’Connor! Add the part about courting white nationalists and knocking out your primary opponents by calling them wimps and liars. Maybe this can be a DLC expansion pack. That’s how these games get you!
Beyond those issues, on my play-through this morning — because, obviously I was going to play this — the Republicans nominated a black guy with a Latina running mate. Sure. And people say Lara Croft’s body is unrealistic video gaming.
In all seriousness, this game probably teaches the Pollyannaish version of American politics (where Supreme Court justices don’t interfere with state recounts) reasonably well for grammar school, but playing on the “High School+” level, it seemed insultingly childish. The decision to abstract everything — like putting the Democrats up 30 points in Texas, behind in Massachusetts, and making D.C. a battleground — is all well and good for third-graders, but by high school it’s time to have some realistic demographic challenges for students to navigate.
Plus, you know what else I did playing the game as a Democratic candidate?
Carried the f**king Rust Belt.
Retired justice’s civics learning game helps students learn about winning the White House [ABA Journal]
Earlier: Educational? You Be The Judge.
Joe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.