For the horde:
Despite what the Republican Party of Maine might want people to believe, playing “World of Warcraft” does not make a person unfit to hold office.
Or so Colleen Lachowicz proved Tuesday night.
Lachowicz plays “World of Warcraft” as a level-85 orc named Santiaga. She is also a newly elected state senator in Maine.
Lachowicz, a Democrat, beat Republican incumbent Thomas Martin Jr. to become the senator-elect for Maine’s District 25 — this after the Republican Party of Maine launched a campaign to out her love of the fantasy role-playing game.
Maine’s GOP had accused Lachowicz — a 48-year-old health-care worker — of living a “bizarre double life” and set up a website revealing her participation in “World of Warcraft.” Not only did the site show off a picture of the orc rogue assassin character she plays, it also dug up online comments she made about her love of the (sometimes violent) game. The Republican Party also sent out mailers as well as a press release claiming her “disturbing alter-ego” had been “revealed.”
But while the Maine GOP had hoped the “World of Warcraft” outing would sour people on her as a candidate, it seemed to have the exact opposite effect. Lachowicz suddenly found herself in the international spotlight, appearing in headlines and on news programs around the world (check out my interview with her here) as gamers flocked to her defense and showered her with support.
And then, on Tuesday night, Lachowicz beat Martin with the final vote tally at 8,666 to 7,753. Despite the small numbers, it was a big win, especially since the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee had labeled Maine’s District 25 state senate race one of the key battlegrounds in the country.
I still hate rogues, though. If you want to play a class that requires skill, roll a mage or a lock.
arguingwithsignposts
blockquote fail in a post. haven’t seen that one before.
Corner Stone
Good Christ. Have some fucking dignity for once in your miserable fucking life.
redshirt
Twas a great night in Maine. Not only because of the national issues, but the Dems took back both sides of the House, providing a MUCH needed check on Teabag idiot Mr. 34% Paul LePage. He and the Wingnut state house members did so much damage from 2010-2012.
jnfr
Wreck List had a huge party in Orgrimmar last night, and we cheered Santiaga (and Obama) pretty much non-stop.
amk
So now, will she slay the real life
orcdouchebag, lepage (what a ridiculously pompous ass name) ?Linnaeus
I downloaded an Apple IIe emulator and a copy of The Bard’s Tale. Good times.
redshirt
Let’s go all Maine politics/video games in this thread.
Maine used to be solidly Republican – rock solid. Along with Vermont, it’s the only state never to have voted for FDR. Think on that for a bit.
A former Republican governor of Maine – John Reed – died recently. Here’s a snippet from the obit:
That’s the Republican Party of Maine I remember, existing not too long ago. Now it’s all frothed mouthed Paulites screaming about tyranny.
Seanly
It takes skill to do melee DPS. Ranged DPS just hangs in the rear with gear.
Hugely
lol NERD ALERT!
course Im listening to Julian H Cope so I would guess some people might look askance at that….
Short Bus Bully
I played a Hunter for years. Talk about a class that the devs love to shit on. None of those kills ever came free.
So glad I managed to break free of that addiction…
Robin G.
Does this remind anyone else of the D&D Chick Tract?
Evinfuilt
Hard to believe isn’t it, a female Orc. So very few of those.
Lok’tar Ogar indeed!
lawnorder
What ? Mages are faceroll!
Try kitty druid if you want a challenge!
At least she is not a huntard :p
Kristine
@Hugely: I never knew that Cope was a well-regarded amateur antiquarian. Thought that was neat.
“Fear Loves This Place.” Love that song.
Pixie
@Seanly: Thank you, I came here just to say this.
redshirt
Anyone worried about Angus King?
MariedeGournay
Blood and Thunder!
Hugely
@Kristine: yup im listening to JehovahKill hadnt listened to it in prolly a decade – “fear loves this place” actually is pretty ironic in context of the election
NobodySpecial
Fixed for accuracy.
Pinacacci
What Seanly said =D
Mike The Dealer
Battle of Wrathgate is one of the best cutscenes in WoW history…”Rise up sons of the Horde! Blood and Glory await us! LOK’TAR OGAR! FOR THE HORDE! (Army) FOR THE HORDE!”
Alliance never gets anything cool to say.
Hobbes
I had one of each class for a while, when I played WoW. I found Rogue difficult to play well, though she was almost as difficult to kill as my paladin.
Johnny Coelacanth
@Corner Stone: Yeah, be like Corner Stain. Have some dignity. Thud and Blunder!
Tim in SF
Yeah? Try questing as a mage. It’s a god damn pain in the ass. Everything kills you. Even critters.
Tim in SF
Level 85? Now? She must have been really busy with her election.
Nina
Her primary alt is a lock. Her husband is a great DK. He was the one who very patiently taught me to raid. Before he started yelling at everyone. I still feel a bit guilty about that.
Percysowner
I don’t play WOW, but the fact that she does makes her like 1000% cooler.
Nina
May I add 111111111111121111111 to that comment about mages
Central Planning
When I played, I liked being a warrior – pure gore.
Anyway, I wonder if (sane) people realize that playing WoW doesn’t give you a bizarre second personality. This is contrary to what republican/convervatives believe – being online gives you a license to unleash your inner dick.
Just a theory…
Mendacity
Yes, what Nina said about mages.
I play a rogue and I live in Colleen’s district, so I was delighted to vote for her. When I got the absurd mailers from the Maine Republic Party smearing her for playing WOW, and for liking the vagina monologues by the way, I put them up on my fridge and went out to volunteer for her and Obama.
Gamers FTW!
Villago Delenda Est
Huntard main here. I love my creatures.
And even though she’s an orc rogue, she’s cool.
Ken
@Central Planning: Oh, I think it goes further. Look at the quotes: “bizarre double life”, “disturbing alter ego”. If that’s not projection from the wide-stance, two-wetsuits, hired-him-to-carry-my-luggage brigade…
WarMunchkin
In addition to that, when she won, she posted the final fantasy victory jingle on her facebook page. She’s kinda awesome.
AnnaN
/small voice
my main is a rogue.
m'quirk
noob.
28 Percent
Is wreck list recruiting? I kinda want to start playing WoW again…
jayjaybear
Wreck List is pretty close to full up, but there is an associated overflow guild, Wrecked List. I’d still ask one of the officers, though…I’m only a member, and haven’t checked our roster lately. I’ve actually been so busy in Pandaria with my main that I haven’t even requested membership for my panda monk alt yet.
Blue Neponset
Does anyone know where I can find Mankrik’s Wife?
NotMax
One thing unmentioned thus far is the impact of Obama’s successful nomination of Justice Sotomayor.
Xecky Gilchrist
I’m just amazed that, 34 years after “Space Invaders” made video games a pop-culture mainstay, reporters still talk about video games like they’re something fringe and counter-culture.
Then again, video games were post-Boomer as far as youth culture goes, so a lot of establishment media will dismiss them.
NotMax
Heh. Ignore #39. Wrong thread.
And open yer own lockboxes, Mr. Cole. :)
Frank in midtown
I’m thinking King might, as an Independant, be able to get the Senate rules changed to minimize the fillabuster. It’s not party politics when an “I” does it.
jayjaybear
@28 Percent: I’ve been told that we still have some slots open, so if you want to try, whisper Pamena or Senta or Dkosmama on Garrosh (Hordeside, obviously). I think we have an online application, etc, that you’ll have to fill out, but it was instituted well after we started to explode with requests, after my joining, so I’m not sure how extensive it is. I don’t know the Guild site URL by heart and I can’t look it up here at work, though.
jayjaybear
@28 Percent: I’ve been told that we still have some slots open, so if you want to try, whisper Pamena or Senta or Dkosmama on Garrosh (Hordeside, obviously). I think we have an online application, etc, that you’ll have to fill out, but it was instituted well after we started to explode with requests, after my joining, so I’m not sure how extensive it is. I don’t know the Guild site URL by heart and I can’t look it up here at work, though.
Geeno
They ruined hunters in mists of Pandaria.
Marksman Hunter is a pain to DPS with in MoP – that takes real skill – more than my meager skill anyway. It’s like Mage without any of the AoEs. They made Beast Mastery completely OP. I switched spec to Beast, and with no other changes my DPS went up almost 50%. Went and tamed a Spirit Beast – it’s well over 50% and the beast heals you. MM is a hard hustle, BM is just face roll. Which, BTW, I am happy to take advantage of until they nerf it.