According to Reuters, Barack Obama, flush with cash and ramping up his advertising in the final weeks before the Nov. 4 election, is making U.S. political history by placing the first presidential campaign ads in online video games.

Reuters reported that the Democratic Illinois senator is using the Internet ads — featured in 18 games through Microsoft Corp’s Xbox Live service — to promote his online voter registration and early balloting drive in 10 battleground states, a campaign spokesman said on Wednesday.

I think that’s a clear indication that he’s going after – and most likely will get – the young voters. Young voters are traditionally overlooked. Typically, we earn that dubious honor because we don’t turn out to the polls. Ever. For anything.

Also, my generation is more likely to be swayed by advertising, regardless of whether or not it’s true.

McCain will most likely counter this with a similar campaign of his own but you’ve got to give Obama credit for originality.

In this election, the young voters could be the straw that breaks the camel back in one direction or another. Targeting your political advertising with a vehicle that most people of my generation are glued to – a home computer flush with online games – is a savvy political move that may just pay off.

That is, if Obama can actually count on some of the traditionally least dependable people on Earth when it comes to voting.

– Jason Cannon