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Maine GOP Apparently Believes That Playing World Of Warcraft Makes You Unfit For Office
from the youth-vote? dept
The Republican Party often has trouble attracting younger voters. Perhaps they should try not attacking one of the most popular pastimes for those voters. According to an entertaining report at Ars Technica, the Maine Republican Party has gone after a Democratic candidate for State Senate, Colleen Lachowicz, by attacking the fact that she played World of Warcraft, pulling a bunch of forum quotes she made a few years ago, and taking them out of context -- such as her statement that "I love poisoning and stabbing. It is fun."
Tim Lee's writeup at Ars hits on exactly the right response:
Once again, Lee's response is perfect:
Lachowicz uses salty language in some of the comments, but someone needs to sit the Maine GOP down and explain the difference between fantasy and reality. Every day, millions of people engage in simulated video game violence without committing any real-world violence. By suggesting a World of Warcraft hobby should disqualify someone for office—and implying that voters are too dumb to tell the difference between virtual and real violence—the party is only embarrassing itself.Later, a spokesman tried to defend the flier, arguing that it raised questions about her work ethic. How? Well, state GOP spokesperson David Sorenson used "the number of hours most World of Warcraft gamers spend playing the game (22.7 per week, on average) and the number it must have taken her to reach such a high level" as some sort of proof that her work ethic is problematic. First of all, using the average amount of time someone plays WoW is meaningless in looking at how much any individual plays. Also, isn't achieving a high level a sign of a strong work ethic?
Once again, Lee's response is perfect:
It's worth noting that the average American watches more than 30 hours of television per week. Many other Americans spend their evenings and weekends at the golf course. Yet it's hard to imagine anyone suggesting that devoting 22 hours per week to those hobbies made a candidate too lazy to hold elected office.I realize it's election season, and with that comes really, really dumb campaign ideas from nearly every political party and/or candidate, but it's difficult to see how this particular strategy is good for anyone -- especially if you want younger people to vote for you. The younger generation tends to respect and look up to gamer politicians. Attacking them for doing something that millions of people enjoy just doesn't seem particularly smart.
Reader Comments
The First Word
I mean, she's playing an Assassination rogue. That's the easiest spec of the most cheap-sauce class in the game. What a lazy, lazy player.
Now if she was playing a protection warrior or a healer or something though - that would be a different story.
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Having looked at her Rogue (85 isn't the highest level anymore, nitpick), she was not spending 22+ hours a week playing. She's an extremely casual player, maybe a couple hours a week tops (if that).
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septic tank digger raking up the dirt
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Another day, another GOP brain fart.
Wake me when something new happens.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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I mean, she's playing an Assassination rogue. That's the easiest spec of the most cheap-sauce class in the game. What a lazy, lazy player.
Now if she was playing a protection warrior or a healer or something though - that would be a different story.
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http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/03/12
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It's like when I see honey boo boo on TLC I can just feel my IQ dropping. "However after reading this I feel my Nerd-Q rising."
Long live Booger!
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*double facepalm*
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"the party is only embarrassing itself"
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And he gets to play the real live version!
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It's just that respawning costs a couple million bucks.
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Connect the dots, folks...
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Copyright violation?
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Maybe they're right
Seriously, I can't ever see myself voting for someone who plays WoW.
I'm a gamer. I play MMOs. I spend a lot of my time gaming.
But seriously, WoW? Don't want anything to do with that monstrosity of a poor excuse for a game.
/gamer snob
/sarcasm, in case you missed it
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It could be worse!
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Next to the Nazi Party and Communist Party I put the GOP on my list of the Political Parties I truly hate.I can not stand these A-Holes.
Everyone in this Nation must Vote this election and you must get your friends/family/fans to Vote.
We must get this Disgusting Party out of our lives.
The GOP = The Varren of Mass Effect.
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"Everyone in this Nation must Vote this election...". Yeah, yeah, yeah. Voting is no solution. Besides that, "everyone in this nation" couldn't vote anyway, since there are a number of people in this nation who can't vote (those under 18 and convicted felons, for example).
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What is this, the Breakfast Club?
Wait, that's a total GOP-ethic pasttime: let the ones at the top (professinoal ball players) excel while those with no atheltic ability sit on their asses and somehow get ahead (with pretend points).
Now, it makes sense!
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worst character flaw?
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Dangerous ground
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http://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/10xr8s/maine_republican_party_launches_attack_ad_against /
Blizzard formally gave notice for this infringement
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to handle herself in the Senate.
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*Takes a Naaru ship to Azeroth*
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Yet when normal people do it.... Its slander and taken to court... or sent to the secret prison hidden under Area 53... I mean, Guantani... somewhere if your talking about the president.
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Deaths per second?
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Feat of Strength
Reward: Title 'the Crotchety'
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Seperation fo Church and State
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Warcraft
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