can we leave politics out of our gaming?

Sadly, it doesn't seem that way. (Unless you are suggesting offline gaming, then yes we can!)

That's something even Netflix wasn't counting on:

From your article, Netflix is saying that it wished that it this issue didn't have to be resolved by the government, but there was no way that net neutrality would have won without government interference.

But more surprising, is that they had previously urged the FCC to put the internet under Title II, which is what they just did.

Obama nominated wheeler, who was a former lobbyist for big cable companies

This is what the FCC website said about Commissioner selection. Scroll down a little to leadership.

The agency is directed by five commissioners who are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The president also selects one of the commissioners to serve as chairman. Only three commissioners can be of the same political party at any given time and none can have a financial interest in any commission-related business.

Tom Wheeler also voted for net neutrality! He voted in a way that is against the people who want to de-neutralize the internet!

And it's probably not a coincident that the two people who voted against net neutrality were Republicans.

This is from the FCC. It is a break-down of every commissioner that has served on the FCC. It shows their political parties, where it shows Michael O’Rielly and Ajit Pai as the two current Republican commissioners.

This is also the first part of what Ajit Pai said about the new ruling.

> Americans love the free and open Internet. We relish our freedom to speak, to post, to rally, to learn, to listen, to watch, and to connect online. The Internet has become a powerful force for freedom, both at home and abroad. So it is sad this morning to witness the FCC’s unprecedented attempt to replace that freedom with government control.

And this is what Michael O'Rielly had to say.

> Today a majority of the Commission attempts to usurp the authority of Congress by re-writing the Communications Act to suit its own “values” and political ends. The item claims to forbear from certain monopoly-era Title II regulations while reserving the right to impose them using other provisions or at some point in the future. The Commission abdicates its role as an expert agency by defining and classifying services based on unsupported and unreasonable findings.

Clearly, Mr. Pai and Mr. O'Rielly do not like the new regulations.

Chairman Wheeler and Commissioner Clyburn with Commissioner Rosenworcel concurring and Commissioners Pai and O’Rielly dissenting.

TL;DR: The vote was on political party lines, so while we wish that there would be no partisan BS, that's how the votes came down to.