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Colleen Lachowicz wow world of warcraft politics democrat republican ridicule

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#1 SpleenBeGone

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Posted 08 November 2012 - 01:21 PM

The Bangor Daily News reports that Democrat Colleen Lachowicz has secured her seat in District 25 of the Maine State Senate on Tuesday after receiving support from gamers around the world. She defeated one-term Republican Sen. Thomas Martin of Benton who brought international attention to their fight for Senate District 25 by criticizing her involvement with Blizzard's hugely popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft.

According to the paper, the Maine Republican Party launched a website called "Colleen's World" which introduced potential voters to her World of Warcraft avatar, an Orc Rogue called Santiaga. The site offered links to her official World of Warcraft profile, and comments made on the Daily Kos website. There was also a link to a study that claimed the average World of Warcraft player is 28, and spends 22.7 hours wandering the virtual realm.

"So I’m a level 68 orc rogue girl. That means I stab things . . . a lot," reads one of her comments. "Who would have thought that a peace-lovin’, social worker and democrat would enjoy that?!"

"Now if you’ll excuse me, I may have to go and hunt down Grover Norquist and drown him in my bath tub," reads another comment.

In addition to the website, the Republican Party also released this mailer (jpg) which led visitors to the website and used her "I stab things" quote, as listed above. But what Martin's political party didn't anticipate was the response to the attack by the gaming community. A group calling itself the "Friends of Santiaga" established an account on fundraising site ActBlue and quickly gathered more than $6300 in donations from gamers all across the nation.

"What’s really weird is that the Republicans are going after my hobbies instead of talking about their record while they’ve been running Augusta for the last two years," Lachowicz said in a prepared statement. "Instead of talking about what they’re doing for Maine people, they’re making fun of me for playing video games."

Because Lachowicz received public funds for her campaign under the Maine Clean Election Act, she couldn't accept the ActBlue funds. Instead, Friends of Santiaga contributed the money to the Maine Senate Democratic Campaign Committee and MPA Campaign Vote!, a political action committee affiliated with the Maine People’s Alliance.

Naturally the Republican Party tried to spin the act of generosity by alleging Lachowicz illegally encouraged visitors to her website to contribute to the ActBlue campaign. Lachowicz admitted to the link, but said she had no contact with the groups that actually received the money. The ethics commission eventually sided with Lachowicz and refused to investigate the allegations.

Lachowicz, a level 85 Orc Rogue, defeated her real-life Republican enemy by more than 500 votes on Tuesday. Currently it's unknown how many experience points she received from her victory, or what kind of loot the defeated former Senator dropped in District 25.


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#2 Wolf

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Posted 08 November 2012 - 10:42 PM

Two important things to note from this.

1. Don't mess with nerds

2. Nerds can only fund ~$6k

#3 SpleenBeGone

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Posted 09 November 2012 - 08:05 AM

#2 is because all their money goes into computers. >.>
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#4 Affray

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Posted 09 November 2012 - 11:50 AM

#2 is because all their money goes into computers. >.>


Not my money.
I have had the same computer for four years now.
And it was just an $800 dollar computer.
Nothing extra, nothing modded.

It is perfectly acceptable to fear and admire a being you could not possibly understand.


#5 Wolf

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Posted 09 November 2012 - 12:31 PM

ITT: Affray needs a new computer

#6 Affray

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Posted 09 November 2012 - 12:36 PM

I don`t really use my computers to the same capacity that most of you do.
So I am not so sure I would even need anything spectacular.

It is perfectly acceptable to fear and admire a being you could not possibly understand.


#7 SpleenBeGone

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 08:52 AM

But you could if you had a new one
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#8 Wolf

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 10:50 AM

I don`t really use my computers to the same capacity that most of you do.
So I am not so sure I would even need anything spectacular.


I thought the same thing. but It's so nice once you have one.

I havent had to spitefully compare system requirements in months.

#9 Krankykoala

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 06:36 PM

That reminds me, it's been 4 or 5 months since I upgraded anything on my computer.... And black Friday is comIng up....... Must buy all the parts!

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me-- and there was no one left to speak for me.


#10 SpleenBeGone

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 08:14 PM

:lol:
My thoughts exactly.
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#11 Affray

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Posted 12 November 2012 - 02:30 PM

That reminds me, it's been 4 or 5 months since I upgraded anything on my computer.... And black Friday is coming up....... Must buy all the parts!


Hopefully all that business about people dieing while shopping on Black Friday are just myths.

I thought the same thing. but It's so nice once you have one.

I havent had to spitefully compare system requirements in months.


I probably still wouldn't delve too deeply into anything computer related if I had a sweet machine.
I could never justify spending large amounts of money on something like that.

It is perfectly acceptable to fear and admire a being you could not possibly understand.






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