Vote for Video Game President!

***UPDATE***

Nintendo Wins!! Mario and Link Claim Victory With 42% of the Vote
PC/Mac Claims Second Place with 28%

First of all, if you are registered to vote in the United States, go out and vote if you haven't.

OK, with that out of the way, let's move on to the main attraction. IGN recently hosted a poll on its site for the next video game president, a fun exercise meant to parody the American presidential election. I've stolen the idea (sorry IGN!) but I've reduced the event to a single day instead of several drawn-out weeks.

Unlike the system in the United States, there are more than two politically viable parties in the world of video games. They are as follows:

Nintendo
Sony
Microsoft
PC
Third-Party (Independent)

After a long and grueling primary season, several nominees have emerged, including a presidential and vice-presidential candidate for each platform. The primaries were bruising for many high-profile characters who couldn't escape from controversies, gaffes, and debate errors. Who could possibly forget when, during a debate with other villains, Ganon couldn't recall the third part of the Triforce?

"...it’s three pieces of the Triforce when I get there, that are mine. Power, Courage, and ahh, what’s the third one there, let’s see...I can’t – the third one I can’t sorry oops."

But other candidates prevailed, including two fan favorites from Nintendo, the oldest platform, and two from Microsoft, which is a relatively new platform but one that is very popular with independents.

So, without further ado, please join me in welcoming the candidates for president and vice-president of video games. Please cast your vote in the poll located in the top-right of the page.

Party: Nintendo
Year founded: 1889
President: Mario
Vice-president: Link

Mario and Link have great track records when it comes to rescuing damsels in distress, and also when it comes to the economy -- Mario has been collecting gold coins for years. Some conspiracy theorists have demanded to see Mario's long form birth certificate, claiming he was born in Italy.

Party: Sony
Year founded: 1946
President: Solid Snake
Vice-president: Kratos

Although both have proven themselves capable of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, Solid Snake and Kratos carry around some baggage. For one, some video gamers claim that Snake is too old to take office. Also, Kratos' polytheism doesn't play well with the Christian right.

Party: Microsoft
Year founded: 1975
President: Master Chief
Vice-president: Marcus Fenix

Both Master Chief and Marcus Fenix have years of military experience, something that will surely go over well with voters concerned with national security and decision-making. Plus each is so heavily armored that there's really no need to pay for a Secret Service detail.

Party: PC/Mac
Year founded: 1965
President: Gordan Freeman
Vice-president: Guybrush Threepwood

Critics scoffed when PC paired a theoretical physicist with a pirate, but the results have been quite successful. Voters balked when Threepwood declared the number one geopolitical foe to be "ghost pirates," but enthusiasm for the PC ticket surged once Freeman saved mankind again. Note: sales of crowbars have tripled since Freeman was nominated.

Party: Independent
Year founded: ????
President: Lara Croft
Vice-president: Leon S. Kennedy

The Independent party hopes to win over women voters and zombie haters with its pairing of tomb raider Lara Croft and police officer turned special agent Leon S. Kennedy. Voters chose Croft as the candidate they would most like to have a beer with by a staggering 100% of the vote. Kennedy maintains a good relationship with the sitting president, although some reports claim he has recently become a zombie, too.