Senate Candidate attacked for playing World of Warcraft

Started by TheGlyphstone, October 06, 2012, 10:51:45 AM

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TheGlyphstone

It's making the rounds on the internet rapidly, as expected, but for anyone who hadn't heard already, the Maine Democratic Senate candidate, Colleen Lachowicz, plays WoW. This has been the basis for a surprisingly comprehensive attack campaign against her by her GOP rivals, including a website "Colleen's World" and paper mailers, drawing from comments made on the official forums and her own blog from as far as three years ago.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82043.html


This is in the PR+C section for obvious reasons, but partisan issues aside (and the obvious jokes about poor taste in games), should this sort of attack be kosher even in the mudslinging cesspit that is modern politics? Should politicians or aspiring politicians be forced to maintain constant professionalism in all aspects of their life, private, both physical and virtual? Or is there still a boundary that shouldn't be crossed, using an opponent's preference for entertainment when they're 'off the clock' and not causing actual harm to anyone as a weapon against them in the public eye?

Callie Del Noire

Well, I appreciate that she plays an assassination rogue...but she's a dirty evil hordie!!!,


I couldn't possibly vote for her because of that. 


The fact I'm not registered to vote in Maine helps too.

I hope, all joking aide, that she curb stomps the jerk. I'm still pissed how the GOP turned on Snow in the last cycle.

Beguile's Mistress

Should we pole the elected officials and candidates and see who believes in sparkly vampires or reads/has read/owns "50 Shades..." and while you're at it how many of their family members have breached the walls of conservatism and ideals the GOP says they hold dear.

It's really stupid to take a person's hobbies like this into consideration on such a deep level.  It's part of her but not all of her.

Trieste

I think as the older statesmen (and women, what few of them there are) begin to retire and younger politicians begin to step up, you will see more geeks, gamers, and RPers in politics. It's becoming more mainstream to enjoy digital entertainment, and video games aren't just for nerds any longer.

I think it's hypocritical for the GOP and others to embrace the tool of social media such as Twitter and Facebook as heartily as they have while still pointing fingers at online entertainment. It shows how they think of it as a tool, still, rather than a legitimate way of spending time, seeking out news and entertainment. Youtube and World of Warcraft are both sort of dowager internet by now, and if you're going to embrace one you should really learn to accept the other.

Moraline

It's interesting but I would be more inclined to vote for someone that I know plays World of Warcraft. Although I haven't played it for a long time myself. I think it's cool that she's like the rest of us and not to stuck up to play a game.

If I could vote for you, Colleen Lachowicz, I would.

... besides...

FOR THE HORDE!

Callie Del Noire

Well I got sneered at being a table top gamer by my co-workers in the Navy.. had one chief actually held it against me. And my rating was a 'Geek rating'. I used to joke you have something like 4 or 5 types of Male ATs (Avionics Tech): they were all at least one of the following: Gamers, Roleplayers, Computers, Musicians and/or Gearheads.

Chris Brady

Not my quote, but an acquaintance on the net sent me this E-Mail in response to this:

"The sheer irony of a GOP politician claiming the state needs a representative who lives in the real world is positively mind-breaking."
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TheGlyphstone

Quote from: Chris Brady on October 06, 2012, 02:56:29 PM
Not my quote, but an acquaintance on the net sent me this E-Mail in response to this:

"The sheer irony of a GOP politician claiming the state needs a representative who lives in the real world is positively mind-breaking."

In the Republican candidate's (tentative, and thin) defense, he supposedly hasn't endorsed the attack ads and doesn't like mudslinging - the Maine GOP just does whatever it feels like without consulting their candidates. Whether that has any truth or not to it is unknown, and doesn't excuse the party itself, but Tom Martin is evidently trying to distance himself from the whole thing.

Callie Del Noire

Quote from: TheGlyphstone on October 06, 2012, 05:19:09 PM
In the Republican candidate's (tentative, and thin) defense, he supposedly hasn't endorsed the attack ads and doesn't like mudslinging - the Maine GOP just does whatever it feels like without consulting their candidates. Whether that has any truth or not to it is unknown, and doesn't excuse the party itself, but Tom Martin is evidently trying to distance himself from the whole thing.

Because it's so easy to turn back on him and he knows it. I mean.. "My opposition has so little substance and merit to his platform on the issues that he has to go after what I do in my casual time rather than my stance on the actual issues at hand." (Or something similar)

And zing..done at the right time..and he torpedoes..

But you're right Glyph.. it's not just the Main GOP.. there is a LOT of problems with attacking outside the party and candidates..

For example, when John McCain was running against Bush.. he was attacked via robocalls in South Carolina about his adopted daughter.. who was portrayed as his illegitimate child.

Stattick

That attack was clearly over the line.

It can be hard to tell where to draw the line though. For instance, for right or wrong, a candidate's sexual orientation very much is an issue in American politics because of the current battle for gay and trans rights. Video game playing is irrelevant nearly all the time, but if Congress was debating or thinking about a bill that would impact the computer game industry, her being a vid-gamer is actually quite relevant to the conversation. Politics is complicated, nuanced, and it's not always easy to see where the line between what should be public knowledge and what shouldn't be when it comes to candidates. But attacking because someone has a hobby that you don't approve of is silly, unless there's something that at lot of people would consider troubling about the hobby. You know, that the hobby might show something troubling about the candidate. Now maybe the GOP and/or Congresscritter are out of touch enough to think that vid-gaming is troubling. Or maybe their political calculus indicates that they should attack her on that front so old people are less likely to vote for her, since the elderly are often xenophobes.

It was still a silly attack, but I can think of scenarios where the GOP might have thought the attack was worth the risk. On the other hand, it was almost certainly an attempted ad hominem - instead of attacking her platform, they're attacking her to make her platform look bad.
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luphawk

#10
Quote from: Moraline on October 06, 2012, 11:14:08 AM
It's interesting but I would be more inclined to vote for someone that I know plays World of Warcraft. Although I haven't played it for a long time myself. I think it's cool that she's like the rest of us and not to stuck up to play a game.

If I could vote for you, Colleen Lachowicz, I would.

... besides...

FOR THE HORDE!

That’s a perfect example of what I was thinking when I read about this.  I’m sure this will lose her a few votes but I bet it gets her as many if not more.  I’m sure there will be geeks who weren’t planning to vote but will support her (or at least look into her more) after seeing this.
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Star Safyre

We all know the real issue at hand is her position on ERP.  Are there screencaps of her in Goldshire?  Where are the chatlogs of that night with the two blood elves?  THE PEOPLE DESERVE THE TRUTH!
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tozhma

I think that the GOP is making a critical failure here and showing the generation gap in the party. They're still in a "Monsters and Mazes" mindset when the world has moved on.

From an ethical standpoint this is silly, yet people will be people and a good politician will take advantage of whatever they can. That being said, there is a generation of people now who have never known life without the internet, and our adapted notions of self which include our personas online will very likely one day clash with more traditional realms like politics. Will we ever have a senator with a furcadia account? Maybe, though I think it's more of a "When?" than a "Will?"

Zakharra

 She is being attacked because she plays WoW?  Hell, as Moraline said, it's more likely to make me vote for her if she was my candidate. Even if she plays a Hordie..  kek.

Serephino

They're seriously resorting to attacking someone for playing a video game?  How sad...

Callie Del Noire

Quote from: Serephino on October 07, 2012, 07:21:51 PM
They're seriously resorting to attacking someone for playing a video game?  How sad...


Every angle they can take.. you'll find someone who will take the shot.

Ironwolf85

she should own it... make a joke ad out of it.

"This is Canidate Ragnar, and I want you to vote for me.
I will take a tough stand on the issues (shows him standing atop a dwarf), I have leadership experience (shows a horde raid going on in the background) and a serious axe to grind (sharpening axe) with the way things are done in washington.
If you elect me, ragnar, as your respresentive promise NO NEW AXES!"
(H.O.R.D.E. superpack is responsible for the content of this advertisement)

They should do an Alliance one too! with him basicly promising the same things!
Prudence, justice, temperance, courage, faith, hope, love...
debate any other aspect of my faith these are the heavenly virtues. this flawed mortal is going to try to adhere to them.

Culture: the ability to carve an intricate and beautiful bowl from the skull of a fallen enemy.
Civilization: the ability to put that psycho in prision for killing people.

Scribbles

Colleen did respond similarly to what some of you suggested...

Link to her Blog


Think she's a secret Elliquiy-er too?  :P
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Callie Del Noire

Quote from: Scribbles on October 08, 2012, 12:56:11 AM
Colleen did respond similarly to what some of you suggested...

Link to her Blog


Think she's a secret Elliquiy-er too?  :P

If she is, I hope she keeps that under wraps. But odds are she simply used common sense and a bit of google-fu for her blog post.

tozhma

Honestly, if I caught her wearing an angry birds shirt or something that would be enough to make me switch.

gaggedLouise

Quote from: Star Safyre on October 07, 2012, 08:21:32 AM
We all know the real issue at hand is her position on ERP.  Are there screencaps of her in Goldshire?  Where are the chatlogs of that night with the two blood elves?  THE PEOPLE DESERVE THE TRUTH!

;D

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Tamhansen

Weird thing is. Most of the attack focused not on her playing WoW but on being an Orc Rogue. A bloodthirsty backstabbing pick pocketing chest emptying savage.

Basically aren't those the skills to be the perfect politician?
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Serephino

Quote from: Katataban on October 08, 2012, 10:55:25 AM
Weird thing is. Most of the attack focused not on her playing WoW but on being an Orc Rogue. A bloodthirsty backstabbing pick pocketing chest emptying savage.

Basically aren't those the skills to be the perfect politician?

You've got a point...

tozhma

I wonder if this could qualify as racist because she plays an orc?