During the day, she’s Colleen Lachowicz, a Maine Democrat running for State Senate.
But when she goes home and logs into massively-multiplayer online game World of Warcraft (WoW), she assumes the persona of Santiaga, a level 85 rogue orc girl known for stabbing, poisoning, and other acts illegal in the real world.
However, some opponents doubt Lachowicz’s ability to separate fiction from reality. The Maine Republican Party has dedicated an entire website to proving that Lachowicz’s gaming habit makes her unfit for public office.
On Colleen’s World, Republican opponents are digging up the politician’s years-old, in-game statements as a way to imply she won’t keep her orcish escapades out of the office.
“Maine needs a State Senator that lives in the real world, not in Colleen’s fantasy world,” the website’s introduction proclaims.
On the site, opponents post messages that are par-for-the-course for any WoW gamer, although a little questionable when you realize they’re written by somebody who ought to be aware of the scrutiny that comes with running for public office.
“So I’m a level 68 orc rogue girl,” one quote from 2009 reads. “That means I stab things . . . a lot. Who would have thought that a peace-lovin’, social worker and democrat would enjoy that?!”
Game-playing voters may find it a stretch to suggest that a person who stabs in video games will start stabbing in real life. But try telling that to 54 percent of Americans who believe that violent video games lead to real violence.
Photo via @ColleensWorld2/Twitter
