Be Offended: Politician Slammed by Political Rival for Having a 'WoW' Account

I try my best to keep politics out of this community (we have far more interesting things to talk about), but this really hit me in the gut. Colleen Lachowicz is running for the Maine state senate. According to her rival though, she is completely unfit for office. Why? Because she's a gamer, that's why. What year is it again?

The Maine Republican Party has taken the liberty of constructing an entire website devoted to how insane it is that an adult would have gaming as a hobby. They've grabbed a number of comments she's made in the past, quoted them out of context, and captioned them with, "In Colleen’s online fantasy world, she gets away with crude, vicious and violent comments like the ones below. Maine needs a State Senator that lives in the real world, not in Colleen’s fantasy world."

Yikes.

It's bad enough that gaming is somehow automatically a slam against a candidate, but this is borderline libel. One of the quotes reads, "Do not send me a campaign contribution or I will have to stab you! Seriously!" That sounds pretty bad, until you realize she's talking to a guild mate whose home burned down, telling them not to donate any of their little remaining money on her campaign.

Maine's Republican Party spokesman David Sorensen sent out an official press release, which would be hilarious if it wasn't being sent from someone with actual power and influence. Read it below, as well as one of the postcards they've been sending out.

If you have any desire to see gaming regarded as a hobby that respectable, responsible adults can have, attitudes such as this really can't be tolerated. If you live in Maine, you don't need to vote for Lachowicz this year, but at the very least, don't vote for her rival.

Democratic Senate Candidate Colleen Lachowicz's Disturbing Alter-Ego Revealed

Online comments raise questions about candidate's fitness for office

AUGUSTA – Colleen Lachowicz, the Democratic candidate for State Senate District 25 (Waterville), has been living a time-consuming double life as a member of the World of Warcraft community. World of Warcraft is an online gaming network where people play a fantasy role-playing game in an imaginary world called "Azeroth."

Today, Colleen is playing at level 85–the highest level one can attain. Studies have found that the average World of Warcraft gamer is 28 and spends 22.7 hours per week playing.

Her character in the game is called "Santiaga," an Orc Assassin Rogue, and Lachowicz lives vicariously through her, making comments about World of Warcraft and other topics on the liberal blog, The Daily Kos. Here is a sampling of Lachowicz's comments:

• "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."

"These are some very bizarre and offensive comments, and they certainly raise questions about Lachowicz's maturity and her ability to make serious decisions for the people of Senate District 25," said Maine Republican Party spokesman David Sorensen.