Much has been made over the last week or so about comments made by presidential candidate Barack Obama referring to video games and gamers. Essentially, Obama said that parents needed to put their kids’ games away and be better parents. That doesn’t sound too controversial, but gamers on both sides of the political spectrum have taken it to mean a variety of different things. The truth, however uncomfortable, is that Obama didn’t mean that comment to be explicitly insulting, but neither is he a great supporter of gamers. Unfortunately for those who care, they are unlikely to find a presidential candidate who is.

Obama’s actual comments are as follows:

I know how hard it will be to alleviate poverty that has built up over centuries, how hard it will be to fix schools, because changing our schools will require not just money, but a change in attitudes.

We’re going to have to parent better, and turn off the television set, and put the video games away, and instill a sense of excellence in our children, and that’s going to take some time.

Again, that doesn’t sound too bad, but it does hint at a deeper problem gamers face. Video games and those who play them are still simply not given respect by the majority of intellectuals. Make no mistake, regardless of what you think of Obama, he is indeed a smart man. The same can be said for Hillary Clinton and John McCain. All three are very intelligent, well read individuals. All three have an inherent bias against video games and gamers.

For every step forward that gamers may feel they take, there are plenty who still wish to push them back a few steps. Games are still viewed by much of the public as the toys of children. Hardcore gamers are still seen as twenty-something losers living in their mothers’ basements. Granted, the majority do not think this way of those who may occasionally play Wii Sports or Guitar Hero, but let on you are really into Japanese strategy RPGs and for the most part, in polite company, you will still get gawking stares.

Make no mistake, Obama’s comments show he thinks the same way. The problem with schools and our children are, at least in part according to him, the televisions and video games are kids are addicted to. Again, make no mistake, Clinton and McCain believe the same way. It isn’t a sign of politics, but a sign of intellectualism versus geekism. Video games, to many, seem like such a waste of time and a terrible brain drain on young people. If only games did not exist we would see more kids reading, playing outside, and maybe even volunteering at their local nursing home. This may sound silly to some, but it is how they think.

So, before you head to the polls to vote for or against someone because you think they’re friend or foe to gamers, remember that none of them are exactly your friends, though none are exactly enemy number one.