If you've been living anywhere other than under a rock, you know full well that the 2008 presidential campaign is in full swing. I think, as of the time of this writing, 3,429 people are vying for the Democratic and Republican nomination. Some people feel that 16 months in advance of Election Day may be a bit early to start running, but tell that to the thousands of supporters who have raised (literally) hundreds of millions of dollars for candidates to start buying vote... er.. I mean ad spots. President Cleveland will set you back $1000. The next president? Considerably more... Without a doubt, this is one of the most important elections in our recent history (it may well be the most important...) There are a wide number of issues facing America today that the next chief executive will have to deal with: immigration, the economy, global climate change, not to mention the increasing war on terror and America's fading reputation around the world. Although these problems would be more than any one person should be expected to handle in four years, one candidate is showing that for him, this election is about more than the real issues. Mitt Romney, the current governor of Massachusetts and Republican hopeful for president, has been one of the more successful candidates at this early stage. He has been able to generate a lot of "buzz" (which is political-speak for "money") despite the fact that he is Mormon (only one president in American history has been any faith other than Protestant), and that he has switched his position on a number of issues, including gun control and abortion rights. Gov. Romney has shot to the forefront of the GOP race with statements like his belief in continuing the war in Iraq, and his called for doubling the size of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Unite... oops... wrong mitt! However, as Mr. Romney's newest campaign commercial shows, he feels the biggest problem facing America isn't any of those mentioned earlier, it is something far more sinister: American culture. Now, far be it from me to point out the hypocrisy of running on a platform of protecting America from foreign enemies while blaming Americans for our own problems (oops.. I guess I did just point it out...). What really gets to me about this is his blaming of video games and movies for all of our woes. Can someone explain to me how it is that Grand Theft Auto is more responsible than the nightly news for raising a violent generation? How could it be that games are too violent, and yet America's Army, a game developed and owned by the US government, has become a staple on gaming circuits? I, for one, cry foul. This is nothing more than a veiled attempt to shift attention away from real problems and have people focus on our so-called "culture war". Hey Mitt: instead of worrying about Gears of War and Hostel III, maybe you should start focusing on real problems.