Can't wait to know the winner of the presidential election? Demoralized because the fringe candidate of your choice didn't stand a fighting chance? Curious to know if an alien could be elected leader of the United States?

Meet The Political Machine 2008. From its packaging, you might think it's a computer game. It's actually sweet, sweet candy for political junkies. You assume the role of the candidate of your choice - from Barack Obama to Mike Gravel, from John McCain to Ron Paul. You then campaign across a map of the country, giving speeches, placing ads and playing dirty tricks.

It all comes down to election day, of course, and the Political Machine pulls no punches. It's all about the electoral college, and unless you can line up a California, Florida or Ohio, you're pretty much toast.

The game doesn't limit itself to the present day. You can also run on a map of 1860 (Ulysses S. Grant is a playable character) and an alien world (where the green-skinned Lord Kona plots his ascendancy). More candidates become available as you play, meaning you can run Jimmy Carter against George Washington if you choose.

The game's voters seem too easily swayed by empty promises, but perhaps that's the game designers making a point about the electorate. All in all, the Political Machine 2008 is the next best thing to an election night.

Clay McCuistion