Video games and politics aren't strangers to one another. Since the days of the crusades against
Mortal Kombat -- pretty tame nowadays -- and extending into the storied and humorous career of one
Jack Thompson, video games have lingered in the halls of politics (let's not get into all the unsuccessful and costly legislation attempts). We think this is, however, the first time that claiming a political opponent plays
Halo has been used as a smear tactic. And yet, there it is. In a politcal fact sheet produced for Arizona's Maricopa County District 1 Supervisor race, the fact that 26-year-old Ed Hermes is an avid
Halo player is used in an effort to defame him.
"Skilled player of the popular video game
Halo," the flyer reads, opposite a more politically relevant statment about Fulton Brock -- Hermes' 56-year-old opponent. It continues with a quote from Hermes made in a university newspaper: "I am addicted to
Halo, and play almost every night."
We find ourselves wondering if a young Fulton Brock was once accused by an elder statesmen of "Watching the boob tube," or "Reading the Devil's picture books."
[Via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-07-2008 @ 4:26PM
Fire Fawkes said...
Wow...it almost looks fake because it's so one sided. I can't wait until the other guy puts out a flier listing his opponent as a COD4 player. NOW those debates would heat up...
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10-07-2008 @ 4:31PM
PollockRoc said...
Uh, I think it's one-sided because it was put out by the guy on the left.
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10-07-2008 @ 6:10PM
Fire Fawkes said...
Yeah, I picked up on that. Sadly the tones of fake enthusiasm are lost when posting to the interwebs...
10-07-2008 @ 4:32PM
ryan said...
i wouldn't exactly call being a skilled Halo 3 player an accomplishment especially when it doesn't apply to being a County Sup.
whoever wrote that certainly wants Hermes to lose. and if Hermes said it was something voters must consider when voting for him, well, sorry man, but that doesn't fly. i don't care how "mainstream" it makes you appear.
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10-07-2008 @ 4:41PM
wa27 said...
Do you know what a smear campaign is?
Of course he wants him to lose.
10-07-2008 @ 5:16PM
ryan said...
of course i know what a smear campaign is. this was written by a source not connected to Mr. Brock. it either clearly wants to show how much of a loser Hermes is or Hermes gave info he shouldn't have.
either way, it looks far fetched to have this irrelevant info printed: him living in his parents house and him playing halo every night.
voters should really not even pay attention to something that doesn't even take ITSELF seriously.
10-07-2008 @ 10:04PM
Achaean said...
The picture was cropped. According to this blog
http://cpmazrandommusings.blogspot.com/2008/10/hermes-responds-to-desperate-fultons.html
the flier was paid for by "Friends of Fulton Brock" which is probably his re-election campaign.
10-07-2008 @ 9:10PM
ryan said...
well i stand corrected. amazing detectives we have here at x3fanboy.
10-07-2008 @ 4:36PM
joeybeast said...
Fulton Brock is 56?
He must have been addicted to something far worst that Halo when he was in college.
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10-07-2008 @ 4:37PM
Mauricio said...
sorry joeybeast, he was never addicted because he never inhaled.
10-07-2008 @ 8:24PM
PaulStanley the 3 said...
john wayne gacy was respected by his piers, like brock here. you know how that turned out.
10-07-2008 @ 4:40PM
diamondxp said...
I think the counter attack should be "Yeah well Fulton Brock is a n00b so STFU"!
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10-07-2008 @ 4:41PM
Xerone said...
Looks to me like he shopped his opponent as well to make him look like a vampire...
http://www.progressivemajorityarizona.org/images/cand_AZ_EdHermes.jpg
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10-07-2008 @ 4:44PM
Nate said...
That guy looks way younger than 56. I would think that he has the election in the bag just from an experience stand point. So why would he even need to smear the younger guy? Looks like he's stepping down to his level.
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10-07-2008 @ 6:22PM
offday said...
Yeah. It sounds like the 56 year old guy is trying waayy too hard to look 56.
He plays Halo! See look at him! He plays it! He isn't mature!!!
Using an argument like, he is a skilled Halo player, doesn't make him any less qualified at the job. It just makes the guy saying it look like a huge douche.
10-07-2008 @ 4:46PM
Sarge said...
Notice the source date at the bottom for the Halo reference is 3/6/2006. Surely he is skilled at more than just Halo. Possible COD and GTA as well.
But if the other stuff is true, being a Halo player is the least of his worries.
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10-07-2008 @ 4:58PM
Brian said...
Ed Hermes is a loser, but Fulton Brock is a douche. Go to hell, Mr. Brock. Do us a favor and take Jack Thompson with you.
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10-07-2008 @ 5:03PM
why not the LS2LS7? said...
The smear would work on me. Halo players exemplify the GIFT in the worst possible way. I'm not saying I couldn't vote for a Halo player, but on the whole, I'd rather have a non-Halo player.
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10-07-2008 @ 5:11PM
LOSE said...
I wonder what his rank is... lol
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10-07-2008 @ 5:14PM
ZEBRA NINER said...
I want to vote for the gamer on principal, but he does seem like a douche. Actually, they both seem like douches... hmmm, vote for me?
Reply