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]
{ Oct 7th 2008 at 4:15PM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fire Fawkes @ Oct 7th 2008 4:26PM
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...
PollockRoc @ Oct 7th 2008 4:31PM
Uh, I think it's one-sided because it was put out by the guy on the left.
Fire Fawkes @ Oct 7th 2008 6:10PM
Yeah, I picked up on that. Sadly the tones of fake enthusiasm are lost when posting to the interwebs...
ryan @ Oct 7th 2008 4:32PM
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.
wa27 @ Oct 7th 2008 4:41PM
Do you know what a smear campaign is?
Of course he wants him to lose.
ryan @ Oct 7th 2008 5:16PM
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.
Achaean @ Oct 7th 2008 10:04PM
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.
ryan @ Oct 7th 2008 9:10PM
well i stand corrected. amazing detectives we have here at x3fanboy.
joeybeast @ Oct 7th 2008 4:36PM
Fulton Brock is 56?
He must have been addicted to something far worst that Halo when he was in college.
Mauricio @ Oct 7th 2008 4:37PM
sorry joeybeast, he was never addicted because he never inhaled.
PaulStanley the 3 @ Oct 7th 2008 8:24PM
john wayne gacy was respected by his piers, like brock here. you know how that turned out.
LOSE @ Oct 7th 2008 5:11PM
I wonder what his rank is... lol
diamondxp @ Oct 7th 2008 4:40PM
I think the counter attack should be "Yeah well Fulton Brock is a n00b so STFU"!
Xerone @ Oct 7th 2008 4:41PM
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
Nate @ Oct 7th 2008 4:44PM
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.
offday @ Oct 7th 2008 6:22PM
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.
Sarge @ Oct 7th 2008 4:46PM
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.
Brian @ Oct 7th 2008 4:58PM
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.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 7th 2008 5:03PM
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.
ZEBRA NINER @ Oct 7th 2008 5:14PM
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?
Mauricio @ Oct 7th 2008 5:17PM
Compare the Ed Hermes in the "Fulton's Flyer o'Smear" to Ed Hermes on his own Website.
http://www.edhermes.com/Home.html Ed Hermes looks like a respectable guy. So he played halo and had some tickets a few years back... so what.
Notice how Fulton has a source for every one of his slugs against Hermes but no sources to backup his "Achievements" or "Ethics" slugs.
Why does Fulton use a 15-20 yr old picture of himself?
Im sure Fulton is more then qualified for the position but he just seems like a dick. Any good politican that has his constituents best interests' in mind should not resort to negative ad campaigns. Besides, a good percent of 18-30yr olds play teh Halo (if only they voted more), why resort to saying we're no good.
Also, Fulton is republican, it doesnt say on the flyer but i guarantee that he is taking "side money" and spending it on hookers and blow. just saying.
Bravo6 @ Oct 7th 2008 5:42PM
LOL.. Ed must have put himself in as a candidate on a dare or something.
offday @ Oct 7th 2008 6:17PM
The guy on the left side looks like a huge douche.
Amiculi @ Oct 7th 2008 9:38PM
I gotta be frank with you. Based on the information presented between the two of them, I'd vote for the gamer just because I'd rather hang out with him.
And yes, at his freaking parents' house, I bet they make awesome pizza rolls.
Boff @ Oct 8th 2008 6:35AM
I've seen the Hermes response poster.
Hermes
Gamerscore: 16543
Brock
Gamerscore: 0
Ouch. Take that Brock.
Boff @ Oct 8th 2008 6:35AM
I've seen the Hermes response poster.
Hermes
Gamerscore: 16543
Brock
Gamerscore: 0
Ouch. Take that Brock.
Boff @ Oct 8th 2008 6:35AM
Sorry got a bit click-happy there.
refinedsugar @ Oct 8th 2008 10:43AM
Old fashioned voters (read: old) don't trust rock 'n roll, video games, men's long hair and that jazz - remember?
borocouncilman @ Oct 8th 2008 11:03AM
I am an elected official with a robust resume AND I play Halo.
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/Default.aspx?player=borocouncilman
-DDA
Nate @ Oct 8th 2008 11:27AM
After looking at their websites I'm with teh halo player... Plus SupervisorHermes would make for a sweet gamertag. Great post!
gamersunite! @ Oct 8th 2008 2:54PM
I bet we're not all in this guy's district, so we can't all vote in this election. But I just sent a message to that d-bag and by throwing $50 to a fellow gamer. Let's show him that it's not cool to mock people for being young and playing video games.
Join me!
http://www.edhermes.com/Donate.html