Partisan Pong

Not since the writings of Hunter S. Thompson have politics and alcohol consumption blended so well together. The Department of Inebriation offers Partisan Pong, a variation on the drinking game Beer Pong. They tapped into the American zeitgeist and created a version that reflects the 2008 Presidential Election. The set features two sets of 10 cups, red for Team McCain and blue for Team Obama with both candidates’ faces adorning the cups, and two colored balls for each team.

There are some basic concepts of Beer Pong aside from getting drunk. X number of cups are arranged on each end of the table in the same manner, and the object of the game is to throw your ball into one of the other team’s cups, which they then have to drink and remove from the playfield. Once a team is out of cups, they lose and have to finish the remaining cups.

Partisan Pong comes with a postcard that offers rules, but the beauty of Beer Pong is that there is no limit other than your imagination to the possible variations that can be played, which very likely should be determined beforehand because when drunk people argue they rarely settle matters quickly. Unless you are in a hurry to get drunk, it’s best to fill the cups up about 1/4 or a 1/3 of the way and to use a pale lager or light beer.

Since the Washington D.C. football team’s final home game failed to predict the 2004 election outcome after having gotten the previous 17 correct, I decided to put Partisan Pong’s prognostication abilities to the test. I invited over Fantasma el Rey and Ladron de Tebeos to join the Senora and myself as we battled it out through a 30-pack of Natural Light. We played three games and alternated partners with Senora Bicho, who has donated money and volunteered her time to his campaign, always playing on Team Obama. No matter the configuration and without any support for his candidacy, Team McCain went 3-0. The results made Fantasma sick, literally, and then he proceed to nap in the bathroom for a few hours. On November 4th, the pattern of the game’s soothsaying abilities will start to form.

If you like getting drunk and want a memento from the 2008 Presidential Election that’s way cooler than a button or a bumper sticker, Partisan Pong is for you. The set is $10.99 + Shipping and can be bought through the DOI website.