19 year old gamer elected mayor.

[Mike Pothier]

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/19-year-old-gamer-becomes-mayor-of-oklahoma-town/1215787

Like any red-blooded American teenager, John Tyler Hammons digs rock music, fast cars, video games and...fiscal planning?

Apparently so. The AP reports that the University of Oklahoma freshman trounced 70 year-old Hershel McBride to become the mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma, making it the first city in the nation to be governed by a self-admitted gamer.

But while he could own any of his peers at Halo 3, the fresh-faced leader is turning his sights on cleaning up the town's politics by establishing an independent ethics commission and locking down campaign finance reporting.

"I'm sure the (city) council will work with me on these issues," he said. "I campaigned on this, and this is something I intend to push."

Tired of the same old political shenanigans, the townsfolk are backing their new man.

"He doesn't have the baggage. He doesn't owe anybody anything," said cafe owner Gary Armstrong. "It's sort of a fresh start for Muskogee."

Best known as the subject of country legend Merle Haggard's 1969 hit "Okie from Muskogee," the unassuming city of 38,000 is considered the archetype of virtuous, small town America, a "place where even squares can have a ball."

And now, so can gamers.

So it begins...

Seriously, this is just like I've been saying all along. The Jack Thompsons and Joseph Liebermans of the world can whine about games rotting the youth's brains, but the truth is, we're just fine, and ready to step up to the plate when its time.

[BlueThunderArmy]

While these types of stories are always interesting (the town where I went to college elected an 18-year old mayor after I left), I'm not sure where his being a gamer fits in to the story. Was this a campaign platform? How do they define "gamer?" Is "self-admitted gamer" analogous to "self-admitted whoremaister," something most candidates would try to play down? Does the article mean to suggest that other mayors have been closet gamers?

[Michael P]

Best known as the subject of country legend Merle Haggard's 1969 hit "Okie from Muskogee," the unassuming city of 38,000 is considered the archetype of virtuous, small town America, a "place where even squares can have a ball."

Well, now that's just a damn lie.

[Kevin M.]

Hope the kid dose a good job as mayor.

[Mike Pothier]

While these types of stories are always interesting (the town where I went to college elected an 18-year old mayor after I left), I'm not sure where his being a gamer fits in to the story. Was this a campaign platform? How do they define "gamer?" Is "self-admitted gamer" analogous to "self-admitted whoremaister," something most candidates would try to play down? Does the article mean to suggest that other mayors have been closet gamers?

I don't think it was a campaign platform at all, though I could be wrong. I'm just assuming the kid had ambitions and went through with them, but had typical 19 year old interests including videogames that the reporter found interesting.

Point is, and I know I'm preaching to the choir, while being an avid gamer, he is clearly a productive and functioning member of society, as the majority of 38,000 people seem to believe.

[StreetFighterRyu]

Not often you see a teen get elected as mayor. At least, not to me.

[LtMarvel]

Hope he was really good at SimCity...

[2-4-5_Trioxin]

Call me crazy but Id be more interested in if the guy can do his job as a mayor, not if he plays games or not, thats not his job. Thats like saying the next president loves grand theft auto, yeah thats fine but does he know anything about international peace keeping treaties and all the other stuff that has to do with his job?

19 is to young to a mayor anyway, should be a mandatory law says you have to atleast be 30 that way you can actually understand things like how life works and be a actual adult for awhile before you start running things. Yeah a 19 year old can be extremely smart and mature and so on, but nothing teaches you stuff like life. Cant believe how much smarter Id gotten about things and how Id changed since between the time I was 22 to now being 32. He is just a kid still.

Not much longer it wont matter to anyone, all the baby boomers and such will be in longterm care and the younger folks will be taking over.

[Deathstroke]

Hopefully he realizes he can't appease unions by giving them extra lives. :D

[Darkhalen]

Good for him, lets hope he does not try and do the 30 lives code trick if he makes a mistake.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/19-year-old-gamer-becomes-mayor-of-oklahoma-town/1215787

So it begins...

Seriously, this is just like I've been saying all along. The Jack Thompsons and Joseph Liebermans of the world can whine about games rotting the youth's brains, but the truth is, we're just fine, and ready to step up to the plate when its time.

I wholeheartedly agree. And videogames will not be to blame if he fails.

[StreetFighterRyu]

Hope he was really good at SimCity...

I hope he can protect them from alien invaders. :eek:

[titanfan]

19 is to young to a mayor anyway, should be a mandatory law says you have to atleast be 30 that way you can actually understand things like how life works and be a actual adult for awhile before you start running things. Yeah a 19 year old can be extremely smart and mature and so on, but nothing teaches you stuff like life. Cant believe how much smarter Id gotten about things and how Id changed since between the time I was 22 to now being 32. He is just a kid still.

As a person in my 30's, I agree with part of this. Yes, I look back at my younger self and laugh at how naive I was at that age and wonder how I ever succeeded at certain things. But at the same time, I wasn't any less "smart". He will grow up quickly. If anything, I get the impression from reading the article is that his age was exactly the reason why they voted for him. It was time for change and they didn't want someone who hasn't been beaten down by life yet.

Our political system is built in such a way that it is very difficult for a single person to totally end up destroying the town. I'm sure they'll be ok.

[Athena Bast]

In my city they elected a 15 year old to the School Board.