A lesson for McCain

By J. Patrick Coolican

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008 | 3:16 p.m.

(The Sun has gone on the road to listen to voters and talk to political leaders around the West. Reporters will examine the economic, cultural and demographic forces re-shaping the region as they drive to Denver for the first of the two major party conventions the Sun will cover.)

ALBUQUERQUE -- A quick interlude from politics and the Intermountain West.

The McCain campaign's schoolyard taunt to blogosphere liberals, equating them with Dungeons & Dragons players and making fun of the D&D world in the offing, was funny but also foolish. As someone who played Dungeons & Dragons a bit as a kid, I can tell you McCain blogger Michael Goldfarb was like some Ogre, with no broad sword, who has an 8 Intelligence, suddenly thinking he's a Cleric with an intelligence of 18 and can match wits. What was really surprising was that the McCain camp seemed surprised that the D&D crowd expressed outrage. I mean, if ever there were an Internet community that would feel comfortable firing anonymous online arrows, it would be the D&D crowd.

Goldfarb wrote a funny response:

"If my comments caused any harm or hurt to the hard working Americans who play Dungeons & Dragons, I apologize. This campaign is committed to increasing the strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma scores of every American."

So maybe McCain wins the crucial D&D electorate anyway.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, do a Google.