Colleen Lachowicz is running for state senate in Waterville, Maine. She also plays a lot of World of Warcraft. According to Maine Republicans, this means that she is unfit for office.
The Maine Republican Party has set up an entire website dedicated to digging up old forum posts made by Lachowicz on Blizzard's online role-playing game.
"Colleen Lachowicz is a Democrat candidate for Maine State Senate," they write. "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."
Yes, this website was actually set up by the Maine Republican Party. It features posts by Lachowicz like: "I love poisoning and stabbing! It is fun. I never thought I would love it so much either. I did not start out in WoW with a rogue."
Maine's Republican Party spokesman David Sorensen has also written up what might be the best press release ever:
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.
They're also sending out postcards like the one pictured above. And this:
This whole situation is hilarious. Like, "I can't believe this is actually real" hilarious. And sure, some of Lachowicz's forum posts were a little inappropriate for someone who wants to take public office. But to use the fact that she plays World of Warcraft as a political dig against her? To say that she "lives vicariously through" a fictional character because she plays an online game? Jeez. I wonder how much time David Sorensen spends playing FarmVille.
Candidate's Bizarre Double Life Raises Questions [Maine GOP via Buzzfeed]