I think that's the metaphor at work in Freedom Run by . The game's imagery is ripe with symbolism: Republicans and Democrats are bound to each other, struggling to achieve a common good just out of reach. One cannot succeed without the other. And the run, just like the ever-expanding quest for freedom, is endless. There is no finish line. And if you fall down, you get up and try again.

The Game With A Peel: The object is simple in Freedom Run--just keep running without toppling over. And avoid those pesky banana peels.Either that, or it's just a silly game about an elephant riding on a donkey's back.

In any event, Freedom Run is a cleverly engrossing tilt game for the iPhone and iPod touch. The goofy political premise is that a Democratic donkey and Republican elephant are racing for... er, well... I'm not exactly sure. Freedom? Glory? Hope and change? Balloons? I don't know. The object is to get as far as you can without falling.

Freedom Run's controls are simple: Tilt to maintain balance, tap to jump over obstacles and to break life-extending balloons (red and blue, naturally). But the game is challenging. As far as I can tell, there is no "sweet spot" where you can maintain perfect balance for any extended period. That heavy elephant will drift forward or backward. Your only respite is the "superbooster"--a lightning bolt balloon that restores your health and sends you sprinting for 10 meters or so.

The challenge is to keep moving and balancing without running out of health or slipping on banana peels. Tilt too far in one direction and you have a moment to right yourself. Overcorrect and down you go. Let your health go too low and the screen will start flashing red, the device will shake and, chances are, you will lose control and fall. The heart-filled balloons that replenish your energy are much harder to get the farther you run.