US Senate candidate "unfit for office because she plays WoW"

[Faldrath]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19842704

Depressing/funny newsbit regarding games of the day, I suppose. Best quote:

"Maine Republicans said playing the game led Ms Lachowicz to live a "bizarre double life" that raised questions about her ability to represent the state."

Could be worse, though - imagine if she played a warlock.

[QuantaCat]

Also, imagine a politician without a double life.

[gundato]

Yay, stupidity.

But actually, I think a politician who is an avid MMO gamer WOULD influence me. On the one hand, they are less likely to screw over my gaming interests. On the other hand, I know that my productivity drops by a noticeable (to me, not to my co-workers) degree when there is a game I particularly want to play waiting for me at home. And MMOs are "addictive".

Not sure if it would be a plus or minus, but it is interesting.

[Sketch]

While I get a sense of yay politicians playing games what a world we love in, how good is she etc. she has made some pretty silly comments considering she knew she was going to be running for the state senate:

• "So I'm a level 68 orc rogue girl. That means I stab things . . . a lot. Who would have thought that a peace-lovin', social worker and democrat would enjoy that?!"
• "Yes, I am seriously slacking off at work today. And I called my congresswoman's office today. And told them I would probably be calling everyday."
• "I spent my day leveling my alt - an undead warlock…"
• "I'm lazy, remember?"
• "Now if you'll excuse me, I may have to go and hunt down Grover Norquist and drown him in my bath tub."
• "Or my dream from election season last year where John McCain sat at my childhood dining room table and I reamed him a new a**hole about Sarah Palin."
• "I like to stab things and I'm originally from NJ…. what's your f***ing point?!"
• "Do not send me a campaign contribution or I will have to stab you! Seriously!"
• "Yes, join us! We're progressive… in fact we joke about being a socialist guild."
• "I love this diary because it sums up the teabagger mindset.

[Nalano]

Being that I was a night elf hunter in WoW, I suppose that means I just like to shoot sentient being largely similar to myself aside from a few minor differences until they die, usually through the eye sockets.

...I can see how that may not sound entirely inconceivable.

"I like to stab things and I'm originally from NJ…. what's your fucking point?!"

I'd vote for her.

[LTK]

While I get a sense of yay politicians playing games what a world we love in, how good is she etc. she has made some pretty silly comments considering she knew she was going to be running for the state senate:

I think those comments were simply crawled from the WoW forums. They most definitely are not public statements.

Edit: Yes, I see the posts in question are from 2009 and 2010.

[Rauten]

I'd vote for her.

As a former fellow horde rogue, I have nothing else to say.

[RogerMellie]

Best comment I saw on this on Twitter was: If anything, as a WoW player, she should be mocked for being in the ridiculous fantasy world of politics.

[vinraith]

Poor taste in games does not disqualify someone for public office, even when it's really poor taste in games.

[Sparkasaurusmex]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19842704

Depressing/funny newsbit regarding games of the day, I suppose. Best quote:

"Maine Republicans said playing the game led Ms Lachowicz to live a "bizarre double life" that raised questions about her ability to represent the state."

Could be worse, though - imagine if she played a warlock.

So basically she is a saint and there was no dirt to dig up

[Heliocentric]

So basically she is a saint and there was no dirt to dig up

WoW Sucks, but I wouldn't want a country to be lead by a dwarf fortress player.

*shudders*

[Faldrath]

So basically she is a saint and there was no dirt to dig up

That's not really the point, I have no idea who she is or isn't (I'm not American either). What's interesting for us here at RPS, besides any local political consequences, is that this is yet another example of how gaming is still in that weird place of being completely mainstream but still carrying a social stigma. That's the social trend worth analyzing.

[Nalano]

That's not really the point, I have no idea who she is or isn't (I'm not American either). What's interesting for us here at RPS, besides any local political consequences, is that this is yet another example of how gaming is still in that weird place of being completely mainstream but still carrying a social stigma. That's the social trend worth analyzing.

In the grander scheme of things, I think Spark's comment is the most pithy on this whole thread.

Colleen's a Democrat whose election is coming up in a state that's not as strongly Democratic as other coastal states to its south. The Republicans are grasping as straws and are ultimately just creating a tempest in a teapot on the hopes that the "controversy" will hurt her in the polls.

The media loves a good ole' controversy, especially in Maine where news happens maybe once a year, so this'll be out and about for at least a day. But it's basically bullshit and giving it any more credence than that's giving it way too much attention.

[Faldrath]

The media loves a good ole' controversy, especially in Maine where news happens maybe once a year, so this'll be out and about for at least a day. But it's basically bullshit and giving it any more credence than that's giving it way too much attention.

Yeah, I understand all that, and I agree that as far as the politics goes, it's bullshit. But I'm a sociologist, and I can't really avoid seeing this as also a symptom of something else, as I tried to explain in the previous post. It will indeed be forgotten in a day or two, but the interesting thing is, of all the things someone could attempt to dig up to stain someone else's reputation, they chose gaming. If they chose gaming, it's because they think it will be effective with a significant part of the relevant population. If this proves correct, it is interesting data. If it backfires horribly, that's also interesting data.

[Sketch]

I think those comments were simply crawled from the WoW forums. They most definitely are not public statements.

Edit: Yes, I see the posts in question are from 2009 and 2010.

True, true and in the long wrong this should have no effect on her campaign, I just think what she said was done without thinking.

[Mohorovicic]

She should be removed from the office for terrible taste in videogames.

[Nalano]

Yeah, I understand all that, and I agree that as far as the politics goes, it's bullshit. But I'm a sociologist, and I can't really avoid seeing this as also a symptom of something else, as I tried to explain in the previous post. It will indeed be forgotten in a day or two, but the interesting thing is, of all the things someone could attempt to dig up to stain someone else's reputation, they chose gaming. If they chose gaming, it's because they think it will be effective with a significant part of the relevant population. If this proves correct, it is interesting data. If it backfires horribly, that's also interesting data.

Dude, we're still race-baiting. Demonizing vidja games is waaaay down the list of shit to get worked up about. If anything, the fact that they chose gaming means that they couldn't use aaaany of the other stuff above it on the list.

[Faldrath]

I am not particularly worked up about it, don't worry. And yes, I'm fully aware that there's race-baiting, religion-baiting, extramarital-affair-baiting, Obama-isn't-American-baiting, and plenty of other types. But game-baiting happens to be of a particular interest to this specific forum, that's all there is to it.

[Sparkasaurusmex]

That's not really the point, I have no idea who she is or isn't (I'm not American either). What's interesting for us here at RPS, besides any local political consequences, is that this is yet another example of how gaming is still in that weird place of being completely mainstream but still carrying a social stigma. That's the social trend worth analyzing.

Well that certainly makes for a more interesting thread :)

But also, this sort of thing has been changing. I mean compare what a general sample would think of a person who plays WoW with what they would have thought of a person who played UO or EQ or something. Well, probably they wouldn't know what that was... but my point is that the social stigmas about gaming are going away.

For further evidence I provide the following:
republicans are using gaming for mud flinging. See what I mean? it's remnants from a previous generation.

Anyway, it is an interesting subject, the stigma of gaming, but even more interesting are our internal stigmas... CoD players might think oddly of a WoW playing politician, maybe? Now I'm generalizing

Come to think of it, the "accusation" that she's a WoW player does seem a bit more...well something... than if they had just said she plays a lot of computer games.

[Nalano]

I mean compare what a general sample would think of a person who plays WoW with what they would have thought of a person who played UO or EQ or something. Well, probably they wouldn't know what that was...

Exactly. They know what WoW is. Largely because somebody they know plays it.

But honestly, I think anybody who votes based on gaming habits is probably too stupid to vote anyway.