I'm hoping I wasn't the only one who noticed this on the 2/2/2012 edition of the Colbert Report.

Alex Rigopulos, the CEO and co-founder of Harmonix, apparently donated $9600 to Colbert Super PAC in the 2011 fiscal year.

Link to the video, and I'll try to find the clip on YouTube for future embedding.

So, Escapists, what's your take on this? Is there a problem seeing the political leanings of a game developer out in the open like this? Should we be taking a donation of this size, much less the organization it was given to, in a more serious manner? Are any of you incensed enough to stop supporting the developer?

Feel free to add in your own questions for the discussion, as I'm really not sure what to make of this myself.

I will never stop supporting Harmonix. I don't care what political things they do as long as they release Rock Band DLC every week. Now THAT'S fan service.

Colbert SuperPAC has no real political leanings, and the purpose of it is to show how insane the US political system has become since the Citizens United ruling. If he donated money to it, good for him. It still is nothing compared to the $10 million from one Las Vegas billionaire and his wife donated to the Newt Gingrich SuperPAC.

Yeah, caring that a game developer donated ten grand to the Super-PAC of a known satirist who established said Super-PAC for the sole purpose of illustrating the lunacy of the system, when eleven billionaires provide half of all the campaign funding in your country, seems a bit silly.

What are we supposed to be incensed about, that this person donated to a SuperPAC that exists to mock how ridiculous the SuperPAC system is in the first place? Hell, most Republicans profess to dislike the outcome of Citizens United, the only disagreement is over what the best solution is.

Magichead:
Yeah, caring that a game developer donated ten grand to the Super-PAC of a known satirist who established said Super-PAC for the sole purpose of illustrating the lunacy of the system, when eleven billionaires provide half of all the campaign funding in your country, seems a bit silly.

Slight correction, it is 22 people that have donated just under half of the $67 million raised so far. As Colbert put it, 7 one millionths of 1 percent. Doesn't change the fact that it is fucking retarded.

pyrate:

Magichead:
Yeah, caring that a game developer donated ten grand to the Super-PAC of a known satirist who established said Super-PAC for the sole purpose of illustrating the lunacy of the system, when eleven billionaires provide half of all the campaign funding in your country, seems a bit silly.

Slight correction, it is 22 people that have donated just under half of the $67 million raised so far. As Colbert put it, 7 one millionths of 1 percent. Doesn't change the fact that it is fucking retarded.

My bad, don't know why I thought it was eleven.

This doesn't seem to be a big deal to me. First, its Colbert's superpac, its not like he was supporting a real candidate or their superpac. Secondly, he is free to support whoever he wants, his donation is not a donation from Harmonix, so it's not like its the company throwing its weight behind any candidate, and third, its a pretty small amount as far as superpac donations go, so I'm not bothered by it in the slightest

Polarity27:
What are we supposed to be incensed about, that this person donated to a SuperPAC that exists to mock how ridiculous the SuperPAC system is in the first place? Hell, most Republicans profess to dislike the outcome of Citizens United, the only disagreement is over what the best solution is.

The best solution is to stop conflating money with speech. One guy/gal, one voice, one vote. The funding should come from the government. It should be fixed. End of story. This notion that we have to allow rich people to run everyone over with media influence or we're "treading on their rights" is idiotic. It's no different than complaining that the police won't let you steal things from people who are smaller than you.