You are correct, sir.
When it comes to the "hobbies" of someone vying for elected office, you bet your ass I'll make value judgements.
Thomas Jefferson immersed himself in hobbies like literature, history, landscaping, architecture, linguistics, and philosophy. He didn't sit around and play continental checkers and dice all day. People can do whatever they want with their time, but how one spends it is enormously indicative of an effective and successful person. A person who invests time and knowledge in craftsmanship such as restoring classic cars, carpentry, or hell, designing their OWN video games, is spending their free time more wisely than someone who's reached level 90 in World of Warcraft. I would absolutely look for someone who fits the former description in a leader.
Anyone who thinks that playing an online fantasy game is just as productive as learning to play an instrument, skeet shooting, or spending time with a like minded social group probably thinks that talking to a girl online is the same as real life dating.
Reminds me of a scene in the movie Crimson Tide where Gene Hackman's captain character is interviewing Denzel Washington for an open spot as XO on his sub and he says, "So what do like to do? Do you paint, play ball, play an instrument, ride motorcycles, what?" Denzel responds that he "rides horses". I doubt that military leaders and CEOs are impressed by hearing about how badass your WoW avatar is at magic spells.
Got nothing wrong with online gaming and am not a stranger to it, but the amount time spent by this lady isn't something that I think is becoming of a person in elected office. I hold prospective leaders to a higher standing when it comes to how they invest their time, so sue me.
You are correct, sir.
First, full disclosure. I am a lifelong gamer. I've been playing literally since Pong.
You make good points, and I don't necessarily disagree with them. However, the obvious is lost on you, even though you're running into it headlong in your conversation with Strategerist.
When you publicly disdain the hobby as being inappropriate or otherwise inferior for someone seeking elected office, you're running the real risk of offending those who aren't seeking elected office, but involved in the same hobby, AKA voters. Now you're just a guy on a Free Republic. Your opinion, valid or not, it essentially meaningless. On the political Richter Scale, it's not even measurable. However, when those associated with the Maine GOP take the same position, it's a different ballgame. Then it becomes a game of numbers. Those who identify with the position vs those alienated by the position.
I know that I personally found myself in several heated arguments in my salad days as a FReeper when I was young(er) and green over George Bush's mountain biking. We could argue all day if mountain biking is equivocal to video gaming, but that would be losing site of the point. I became in engaged in the arguments because certain FReepers were attacking GW for being passionate about the same hobby that I'm passionate about.
So was this a good move on the part of the Maine GOP? Hardly. Very little political capital to be gained and scores of people to piss off.