Ok, cats and kittens, I don’t usually post about politics here, because that’s real world stuff and I geek to get away from that shit.  But this, being geek-related as it is, and both appalling me and making me laugh out loud, bore special mention.

From John McCain’s Website:
“It may be typical of the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd to disparage a fellow countryman’s memory of war from the comfort of mom’s basement, but most Americans have the humility and gratitude to respect and learn from the memories of men who suffered on behalf of others.”

Ok, first, this made me laugh because gamers have been some of the most conservative mother fuckers I’ve ever met.  Seriously, why do you think they want to pretend to be knights and paladins slaying dragons and rescuing damsels?  Not to mention that most of my pals who are obsessed with the military and military service, history, etc… are gamers. So, yeah, way to NOT know who the fuck you’re talking about, assholes. 

Then, there’s the “mom’s basement” comment.  Sigh.  This kind of ignorant generalizing does no one any favors.  Least of all someone who doesn’t expect his constituency to be literate enough to realize when he’s swiped a story from a world-reknowned author. 

And to be honest, it may well be true.  I don’t know.  I’m not a Christian, so I don’t know how prevalent drawing crosses in the dirt is for interred Christians.  But the similarities to Solzhenitsyn’s anecdote are incredibly striking, and well, McCain’s a politician, so I wouldn’t trust him with… anything. And the McCain camp could have handled the cries of plagiarism with a touch more aplomb.  Resorting to “name-calling” right off the bat, let alone stupid, ill-informed name calling, really just makes them look guilty. 

Seriously, and before anyone starts screeching about me and my Obama-loving ways, I’m not particularly thrilled with HIM either.  The fact that he seems perfectly fine with throwing reproductive rights under the bus to try to win over a voting population that will never vote for him does not sit well with me.  Not at all.  I’m really getting sick of the Democrats ignoring women because, “where else are you gonna go?”

There was a time when McCain was the only Republican I had ever actually considered voting for, when he was running against Bush Jr. the first time, and actually behaved with some fucking integrity.  You know, before he sold out and started towing the party line with his tongue buried so far up W’s ass he can taste his tonsils. 

Do I think that this is going to drive conservative gamers into the arms of the Democrats?  Nah, probably not.  Do I think it’s an incredibly stupid way to respond to accusations of plagiarism (i.e. lack of integrity)?  Yup, I sure do.  Am I going to enjoy watching my conservative gaming buddies try to rationalize voting for someone who so utterly disregards them as part of his constituency?  I’d probably enjoy it more if I didn’t feel the same way about the Democratic party right now.

ETA:  Apparently there’s been an “apology” of sorts, but not one that can actually be referenced back to the offical McCain site, as opposed to the original quote, which is still up there for all the world to see.  Not to mention, “Too late, assholes.”  It’s all over the interwebz now.  It’s not ever going away.