amusing/interesting

[ukaserex]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49313145/ns/us_news-weird_news/

[Knightslayer]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49313145/ns/us_news-weird_news/

I think someone else posted that somewhere too (but not in a topic of it's own).
Of course the fact that her fellow politicians tried to "slander" her by exposing her gaming habits might actually work in her favor, I imagine a lot of gamers (including those who have nothing to do with WoW) will vote for her on general principle now =P

[Teege]

Hey if all they go after you for is the fact you enjoy playing a game with your free time, I'd say you're doing pretty well.

[Turjan]

Being English, I have to say I tend to sit back and watch the intensely vitriolic squabbling in US politics with bemusement. And a raised eyebrow and the occasional long drawn out "Yeeesss..." as we Brits are wont to do ;)

I find it bizarre that in the run up to Presidential elections, both sides spend months assassinating their own candidates in public, and then when one name finally comes out on top in a party, the losers turn round and say "I have always had the greatest respect for X and will be happy working with them" ???

So I can't say I'm surprised when a stunt like the one in that article occurs. What I find most amusing is the fact political assassins think what they're doing is more moral than someone playing an assassin in a fantasy game.

That aside, in terms of being an article about gaming, it's interesting in that it shows how some politicians seem to still be clinging to the idea that 'gamer' equals 'freak'. It's not that long since the incident in Benghazi, Libya where Foreign Service Officer (and EVE Online player) Sean Smith was killed in the attack on the US consulate...and tv radical Glenn Beck insisted Smith's last message to his fellow EVE players was actually a coded message to the CIA, proving that Smith was CIA...as must be his entire EVE corporation - obviously! :roll:

For me, the most interesting aspect of the Warcraft incident is how the Democrat lass shrugs it off. The BBC article about it has this statement in it :-

"I think it's weird that I'm being targeted for playing online games," said Ms Lachowicz in a statement. "Apparently I'm in good company since there are 183 million other Americans who also enjoy online games.

"Instead of talking about what they're doing for Maine people, they're making fun of me for playing video games," said Ms Lachowicz.

It is not clear what effect the Republican tactic will have on the state senate race in Maine. However, many messages of support have been left on Ms Lachowicz's own webpage with some pledging cash to her campaign.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19842704
(aside : note that the article is in the BBC's technology section? Well, I suppose they had to put it somewhere...)

This is the most telling sentence for me in the MSNBC article though :

David Sorensen, a spokesman for the Maine Republican Party, said the mailing and website weren't meant to antagonize gamers.
"As far as we're concerned, it's not a 'World of Warcraft story,' it's a 'candidate saying outrageous things through World of Warcraft story,'" he said on Friday.

(emphasis mine)
That's a lie of course. What he really meant was "Well, we initially intended this to be a World of Warcraft story, but then we saw it had backfired and we were being laughed at as out of touch idiots, so now I'm saying it's about what she said IN the game, not about the fact she was playing a game, no sir!"

Perhaps instead of creating a site called Colleen's World and spending ages stalking her, they might have been better off using that time to first do the minimal research required to discover that 2/3 of their potential voters also play online games? ;)

[DrakeGrimm]

...I do the same thing when it comes to politics, Turjan. Does that mean I'm actually British and not American!? :O

[Knightslayer]

...I do the same thing when it comes to politics, Turjan. Does that mean I'm actually British and not American!? :O

You're an Englishman in New York. >.>

[Zolgar]

You're an Englishman in New York. >.>

I'm sorry, but Grimm is by no means Sting.

[DrakeGrimm]

I'm sorry, but Grimm is by no means Sting.

For one, I refuse to wear the plastic speedo.

[TimtheEnchanter]

I read that and thought, "Gee maybe we should give some support", but then I realized this is WoW we're talking about. And every WoW player probably just went Dem over this.

And something I'm curious about now. Are there still a lot of conservative people out there who see things like this as Satanic, hence the reason Reps figured they could use this to their advantage? Is this a sign of the frigging D&D witch-hunt STILL going on?

[Zolgar]

I read that and thought, "Gee maybe we should give some support", but then I realized this is WoW we're talking about. And every WoW player probably just went Dem over this.

God, I hate to say this.. but I actually feel sorry for the Democrats! ;)