Florida GOP House Candidate Moonlights as a Vampire Role-playing Gamer

Jake Rush is a former sheriff’s deputy and an attorney running in the primary against first-term Florida GOP Rep. Ted Yoho. He describes himself as a conservative “sharp-shooter.”

But in his spare time, Rush also dresses up in costumes and participates in supernatural live-action role-playing games featuring vampires, werewolves, and gothic elements.

Rush’s hobby, first reported by local politics blog St. Peters Blog, is raising eyebrows since he announced his campaign last month. Yoho said Wednesday that the reports of his opponent's behavior are "disturbing."

But the candidate insists it is as innocent as acting in a play or playing a video game.

"My client is a nerd and he plays games. So what? Frankly, Congress needs a little bit more intelligence,” a campaign spokesman told FoxNews.com.

Source

I used to play DnD and other role-playing games in the past. While, I have never engaged in LARPing I have known several couples that do it on a regular basis. What I find amusing is that THIS is being used against the candidate by his primary opponent. As if I should be more concerned that he has an active imagination than he is a bought and paid for lying scumbag politician.

I have always enjoyed people who engage in role-playing and other fantasy type activities. These people are almost always gentle, inclusive and kind. I would be more likely to vote for someone I knew was involved in LARPing than I would for some other dogmatic politician. At least I know I would love to have a beer with this guy.

I hope this guy gets elected. We need more 'weird' people and less a-holes.

reply to post by Metallicus


As long as a politician honors the Constitution, I could care less what they pretend to be on their off time!

Hell, as a matter of fact, can anyone even name a current politician in office that has served the Constitution?

New World Of Darkness or old is my only real question.
New sucks...gimme old school Vampire, The Masquerade...not the new nonsense they put out.


I have no issues with this..LARPing is actually a sign of intelligence and high creativity.

I may however have a problem with his actual political stances....keep it real folks, judge a man by his ideas, not his hobbies.

Cool, I've done one WoD LARP in college. I had more fun doing Legend of the Five Rings LARPs at GenCon a couple times.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. It might up his cred in some sectors, lower it some others.

Wow, a politician acting like a vampire? Seems like the perfect prerequisite!!

From the link:

Rush plays Madden but certainly doesn't think he's Brett Favre."

Oh how I wish this had been posted in the mud pit...so many jokes. Anyways, LARP on brave, young
GOPer, LARP on.

ketsuko
Cool, I've done one WoD LARP in college. I had more fun doing Legend of the Five Rings LARPs at GenCon a couple times.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. It might up his cred in some sectors, lower it some others.

edit on 8-4-2014 by ketsuko because: (no reason given)

If his opponent has any political savy at all, he will post up a photo of Ted Yoho in costume. I would think he has enough baggage with a name like Yoho without adding real live geekyness to it. Good on the GOP for allowing him in the party; they try so hard to keep from looking like geeks.

All hail Ted Nugent!!

We real men dress up like cowboys, cops, sailors and red indians.

wills120
Wow, a politician acting like a vampire? Seems like the perfect prerequisite!!

This is great!

At least he isn't hiding the fact that he enjoys playing a vampire. Heck, maybe he will get it all out of his system and actually do a good job for the people.

I'm almost 50 and I play dungeons and dragons once a week with old friends.

There's nothing wrong with any of this, people really need to find other things to be outraged about.

~Tenth

reply to post by Metallicus


Poor unfortunate nerd that he doesn't play Warhammer but, makes me wonder what is going to happen to the poor sod who does civil war re-enactments?

tothetenthpower
I'm almost 50 and I play dungeons and dragons once a week with old friends.

There's nothing wrong with any of this, people really need to find other things to be outraged about.

~Tenth

I do think it's interesting that the usual stereotype is being sort of turned on its head.

The GOP guy shouldn't (according to established wisdom) be the one doing this. I mean the GOP are all a bunch of stodgy old, white guy theocrats, aren't they?

tothetenthpower
I'm almost 50 and I play dungeons and dragons once a week with old friends.

There's nothing wrong with any of this, people really need to find other things to be outraged about.

~Tenth

I would still play if I could find a new group.

My sister was married to our old DM and we lost him in the divorce. /sadness

Any suggestions on where to hunt for new players?

I wish I could contribute to this thread, but I have no experience in any of the mentioned activities... Suppose that makes me the resident geek?..

reply to post by Metallicus


Yep, yep, real life does get in the way of the game doesn't it?

Husband and I also used to play at least twice a month until our GM got deployed, then another group member moved back to NOLA, and the guy whose house we were using got divorced.

We could likely find a group, but they all play D&D, and I just have had too many back experiences with that system.

ketsuko
reply to post by Metallicus

 

Yep, yep, real life does get in the way of the game doesn't it?

Husband and I also used to play at least twice a month until our GM got deployed, then another group member moved back to NOLA, and the guy whose house we were using got divorced.

We could likely find a group, but they all play D&D, and I just have had too many back experiences with that system.

edit on 8-4-2014 by ketsuko because: (no reason given)

You know, what we may actually really need is a politician who plays "Call of Cthulhu".

greencmp

ketsuko
reply to post by Metallicus

 

Yep, yep, real life does get in the way of the game doesn't it?

Husband and I also used to play at least twice a month until our GM got deployed, then another group member moved back to NOLA, and the guy whose house we were using got divorced.

We could likely find a group, but they all play D&D, and I just have had too many back experiences with that system.

edit on 8-4-2014 by ketsuko because: (no reason given)

You know, what we may actually really need is a politician who plays "Call of Cthulhu".

Paranoia ...

Sorry the USA is falling appart yet your polticians would rather talk about what games there opponents play?

Really?


I thought the USA had a good 50-100 years left as a superpower.

I revise that down a factor of 10 to 5-10 years

The only good thing that might come of this is to end the right-wing Christian stigma against Dungeons & Dragons, Magic the Gathering vampires, Harry Potter and everything else that all is "heretic" under the sun.

crazyewok

Sory the USA is falling appart yet your poltician would rather talk about what games there opponents play?

Really?


I thought the USA had a good 50-100 years left as a superpower.

I revise that down a factor of 10 to 5-10 years

Politics in the US is a circus. Only the intellectually challenged take anything about it seriously.

This Ted Yoho guy just exemplifies what American politics has morphed into. Role playing and pretend.... and let the voters be damned. Still partisan politics makes serious money for those of us that know the game. Mid term political campaigns are like christmas for small producers.

The reason the USA is falling apart is because we have become a cultural wasteland where the masses are more concerned about Duck Dynasty personalities than things that actually have an impact on their lives. This was exemplified perfectly on ATS in the recent thread wars. It would have been humorous if it wasn't so sad.

Well I guess as long as he's part of the Camarilla, it's ok, but I sure as hell don't want any of those damn Sabbat's

My god!