A Virginia reminder: Election day is tomorrow, and it’s crunch time for Ken Cuccinelli (left above) and Mark Obenshain (right above). Clinton bag man Terry McAuliffe has outspent Cuccinelli (thanks to Bloomberg) by 10:1. As a result, he still holds a slim margin in the polls. Projected turnouts are as low as 30 percent, and the campaigns have 40 percent as the goal, so with numbers that low, every vote makes a big impact. With both sides concentrating heavily on health care in the last couple weeks, the gubernatorial election is seen by some to be a referendum on Obamacare, and as such could have influence well into the 2014 elections. Make your vote count, if not for you, then for the momentum it could give to the rest of us.
If it wasn’t there already, add Geissele Automatics to your good-guy list. Last Wednesday I told you about the efforts of ar15.com members to support one of their own in his fight with cancer, including a cash fund that has topped $50k, as well as people picking up mortgage payments and the kids’ Christmas lists. Late Friday night, a Geissele representative posted that they would be doing something special for the effort. They put together 50 copies of their SSA-E trigger engraved with “Cancer Sucks” and “x of 50.” They put them on sale for $200 ($30 off retail), and for payment would only accept checks made out to Jeff. Geissele is donating the trigger packs and shipping, and the family gets all the money. With all 50 sold (and they have) that’s $10,000 to Jeff and his family. Nobody asked them to do this, they volunteered, and that’s pretty awesome.
Here’s YouTuber tnoutdoors9 and a few friends making me jealous with a little Mosin-Nagant fun. L to R, a 91/59, a pair of 44s (one with bayonet), and a 91/30.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EDIhCkXDn4
If you’re looking for discreet transportation of firearms and accessories, you may want to take a look at the new Diversion line from BLACKHAWK! Decidedly un-gun-bag-looking and with a complete lack of BLACKHAWK! logos and MOLLE webbing on the outside, inside they have useful features like loop patches, long-gun muzzle retainers, and gun/magazine pockets. Currently the lineup includes the Courier Bag, Workout Bag, Slingpack, Board Pack, and Racquet Bag (seen holding an IWI TAVOR here).
A firefighters union in the suburbs southwest of Chicago is holding a raffle, and since you’re reading it here, you know what the prizes are. Two guns a month, including a Smith & Wesson AR-15, as well as gift cards to a local gun store. The local civilian disarmament movement is up in arms, as you’d expect, though I found it interesting that the executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence pointed out that most gun deaths are due to accidents or suicide. Since they normally lump suicides in with their numbers while screeching about loopholes and “illegal guns,” I found the honesty somewhat refreshing.
Jerry Miculek puts the Barrett M82A1 away for this video, where he demonstrates his trick-shooting skills with a Smith snubbie. At 200 yards. One-handed. Upside down. Pulling the trigger with his pinky finger.
.
Good on Geissele for sure; those are some fantastic triggers to boot. While we’re at it, good on Matt for bringing this everyone’s attention here; it might not be 10K but I’m sure you’ve helped raise quite a bit of loot.
Also, vote Sarvis! Let’s go 10% and automatic ballot access through 2016!
Much as I want a viable third party, we cannot afford four years of McAuliffe, and not just because he is stridently antigun. He is an incompetent of the highest order. The guy went on a trade visit to Cuba forgetting about this embargo we have. He has never run a damn thing but a political machine. Open up any Washington Post in the last two weeks and see if you can find a single positive story on him. Newspapers around Virginia are simply endorsing no one instead of the annointed Democrat.
I have had it with lightweights. Sarvis is appealing, but Cuccinelli is the real deal. Ideology doesn’t run governments or pay the bills. Leaders do.
I’m no lover of McAuliffe, and I’d really prefer he lose, if only for strategic reasons, but I can’t reconcile with Cuccinelli’s backwards social views. At the end of the day I view voting Libertarian as the best long term strategy; to me voting republican is just plugging holes on a sinking ship.
Blinky, I “generally” support the libertarian point of view, but I cannot bring myself to vote for a Libertarian. Since in ALMOST every case the Libertarian, no matter how much you may like him or agree with him, has ZERO chance of actually winning the election, casting a vote for the Libertarian is TAKING a vote from the Republican, and taking a vote from the Republican is like GIVING a vote to the Democrat. SO, in order to make some sort of political/philosophical statement you have actually voted in favor of the Democrat. How does that make sense?
Your vote is a communication tool, nothing more, nothing less. So what are you going to communicate today? Not voting communicates that you’re ok with others making decisions for you. A vote in the R or D column communicates that you’re happy with what that party has been doing, “keep up the good work”, so to speak. A vote for a third party communicates that you’re unhappy with what the R’s and with what the D’s have been doing.
So ask youself, are you happy with the performance of either the R’s or the D’s?
@Soccerchainsaw,
Yes, and thinking like that will be sure to kiss our gun rights away in every single state. In order to change laws you must first be in a position to change those laws. Voting for a 3rd party in this case guarantees the loss of your gun rights and the chance for things to change and signals the democrats that they can do the same in every single state.
Sure, you get to go home and sleep with your moral righteousness, but you get to wake up with jackboots thugs knocking at your doorstep. What is the value of that?
Then you will come on here and other forums to complain. Yeah, that is productive.
The world you want first must come with victory to push democrats out. That is how the game is played. Look at the gun grabber candidates. They are willing to hire crooks, open communist (see NYC mayoral race) , crack heads and other idiots simply to win so that they can pure forth their views.
If we wish to keep our gun rights we may have to from time to time elect those we do not completely agree with and then work the system. Not voting or voting for a 3rd party does nothing to support our cause. I don’t understand why gun owners are so stubborn on this and so willing to loose and so happy to get on their keyboards to complain about a situation that they themselves created.
Cliff, you’ve got the 3rd party catch 22 there, and it’s too bad. Libertarians have no chance of winning, so no one votes for them, so they have no chance of winning. The success factor here isn’t that Sarvis could win, it’s that he could break 10%, guarantee ballot access for future candidates and bring more awareness to the party. It’s hardly an overnight thing, but like I said, it’s a strategy, and that’s something the GOP doesn’t seem to have.
You and Pascal both are also incorrect in your oft repeated assumption that a vote for the Libertarian is a vote for the Democrat. Most polls show about 45% of registered republicans lean Libertarian, so it stands to reason that the rest are either coming from democrats that lean the same (I know plenty of them) or people that will only vote Libertarian.
Regardless, it’s simply another hypocrisy of the GOP (and not necessarily you two specifically) to blame the voter for the candidates failure to win votes. Like small government, personal responsibility is just another thing that GOP candidates preach but fail to practice.
@BlinkyPete,
I agree on two of your points. The GOP has no strategy and not all votes for Sarvis take away from Cuccinelli. I also agree the GOP still has no clue on social issues. However, the polls show overwhelmingly, that the majority of the votes for Sarvis are from Republicans. There was a good discussion on those polls last night on Kudlow. Also, when polls have been done without Sarvis as being a choice, it was almost a dead heat with a small percentage favor going to Cuccinelli. That tells me that a vote for Sarvis cuts deeper into Cuccinelli. Voter turn out will be key — how many gun owners will stay home and not vote?
Do I believe that Cuccinelli is a good candidate? No. What is important in this race is the following. In Colorado recall elections the democrats outspent 7:1. In VA, the ratio is almost 10:1. In races here in CT the ratios is 3:1 and 5:1. A win in VA and another recall in CO, sends a HUGE message to stay away from our guns and that they do not get to run the show anyway they damn well please. Gun control comes off the table and also is another slap on Obama’s face. Even the democrats do not have unlimited money and they MUST change their message or tone or face failure in 2014 and 2016. Just like the loses after the Clinton era gun control bills, this will leave a sting and will cut deep into campaign finances having used so much just to loose. Hillary will also have check her message at the door.
To me the strategy is to show that there is no 90% of whatever poll the democrats want to push. It forces change.
Cuccinelli is just a pawn. They use us as pawns all the time. The value of Cuccinelli winning is not that he is the best or greatest candidate, it is to show Obama & Co. that they cannot do whatever they damn well please and more damage will be done in 2014/2016 unless they change their message.
Obama is president and leader of democratic party. Large loss like this smacks him where it hurts and even he will be forced to come more to the middle no matter how arrogant he happens to be.
“Also, when polls have been done without Sarvis as being a choice, it was almost a dead heat with a small percentage favor going to Cuccinelli.”
Just for the record, the polls I’ve seen taken “without Sarvis” have all still showed a McAuliffe lead, but they’ve all been by only one point, which is inside the margin of error (usually 3%).
I agree with most of what you’re saying, and I’d prefer that Cuccinelli win, but I’m fine if he doesn’t. By all accounts, his struggling in the polls has far more to do with his far right stance on almost every issue, and that stuff needs to go as much as the gun control stuff.
Turnout, as it turns out, is much higher than anyone expected, too. That’s bad news for the GOP. It will be interesting to see, in the event of a loss, if Savis’ total votes are inside or outside the margin of loss. My analysis says that if his total votes aren’t double Cuccinelli’s margin of loss, it wasn’t him that did it.
That last part sounds reasonable, as the Sarvis poll votes seem to be split about half & half.
Reports are that Sarvis is in favor of a gas tax and even a mileage tax, for which the government would put a tracker on your car. I don’t know if Sarvis has refuted this. Ron and Rand Paul are saying that Cuccinelli is much more of a small government guy than Sarvis.
Cuccinelli has too much interest in uteruses, but aside from that, word is that he’s one of the best guys in the US for limiting government.
McAuliffe would be a terrible governor in every imaginable way.
Yep, and if ol’ Terry wins, you libertarians had better pray the republicans hold their margin in the state house. If not, you may want to find a good place to ship your guns and ammo. Your problem I guess. Good luck.
You can check out his statement on that here; you’ll see that the whole vehicle tracker thing is entirely fabricated. Someone else suggested the a mileage tax in an article Sarvis was quoted it, but even that person suggested that mileage be calculated at annual vehicle safety inspections (which VA already has), not Orwellian tracking devices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5aUzZNQw34A#t=135
As you can see, Sarvis says he favors use based taxes at the local level instead of centralized, broad based taxes. That’s pretty Libertarian, if you ask me. The fact that the GOP’s two small L libertarian poster boys endorsed the other guy is irrelevant; is says more about them than it does about Sarvis.
You can argue the point all you want, but the fact still stands: If you vote for a third party candidate (whatever reason you use to justify it) and not the more conservative candidate, your giving the election to the Liberals. In less fancy words: Any vote that isn’t for a Republican, is a vote FOR a Democrat.
Um, nope. It’s not. You’re essentially saying that one election 13 years ago is the rule and not the exception, and ignoring every other control factor that indicates your wrong. Until the results come out we won’t know for sure, but there’s never been an election that I know of where a third party lost it for the Republican.
Any vote not for the Nazis is a vote for communists. Gotcha.
The only thing I’ve heard that is verifiable is that cucenilli does not support an abortion after so many weeks. I don’t see anything extreme in that. I don’t know maybe I’m crazy. McAufflie thinks it’s okay to have an abortion at 8 months and 29 days. To me that is extreme. Again call me crazy. Usually all this stuff is drummed up by democrats to take the issue into the gutter instead of talking about how we are witnessing Utopianisms collapse.
Sarvis doesn’t seem to be libertarian pure.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/11/04/Ron-Paul-to-Virginians-Insane-to-Vote-for-Libertarian-Robert-Sarvis
Wow… way to go bionic grampa that was a damn good shot.
I don’t think he is human.
He is what happened to the 6 billion dollar man after the series ended. He changed his name and started shooting.
Human or not, he’s certainly a BOSS
People, let us get one thing straight…..Jerry. Miculek. Is. A. Cyborg.
Yes. There will be no toleration of bitching and whining six months hence when Virginia is staring at the passage of a Maryland/Connecticut/New York/Colorado-style gun control bill. You deserve what you get if you can’t keep a petty authoritarian scumbag corrupticrat like McAuliffe out of the Governor’s Mansion.
If I’m not mistaken, the legislature in VA is still controlled by the right. Unless that changes, you won’t see sweeping changes. That doesn’t mean the left won’t try, it just means they won’t push it through in a supermajority like in NY or CO.
Matt, only one chamber is GOP-controlled. The state senate is currently in Democrat hands. Some of our current protections (carry in houses of worship and in public areas of state college campuses) come solely from the current AG’s (that would be Cuccinelli) writings on current law. Current gov McDonnell signed “guns in bars” into legislation. Anyone here who thinks T-Mac will do that, raise your hand…. yeah, me neither.
It’s a thin line here. There will be no staying home tomorrow.
Thanks for the info. I hope you’re not alone.
I’ll be in Richmond tomorrow night surrounded by a bunch of slimy Mac supporters. Nothing would make me happier than to see them crying in their beer.
Then I’ll come home and keep working on throwing Evie Hudak out of office.
Yes. I gave to that campaign as well.
Oust all these anti-constitutionalist jack wagons!
This is not true. The VA senate is split 50-50 (with effective GOP control due to a GOP Lt Gov.) and there are no state senate elections this year. Dems are poised to pick up seats in the House of Delegates but will not flip it. On the other hand, the GOP is about to lose all 3 statewide offices on the ballot. Cucinelli is 7 points down; he’s sunk…
As a VA resident and someone who works full time in campaigns, this isn’t true. Republicans currently have control over the House of Delegates (a lead they won’t lose) but the State Senate is a dead tie. The Lt. Gov has to break that tie if the vote falls straight on party lines. Democrats do not control it yet, but they could if they win the Lt. Gov post today.
Thanks for the correction. I’m working on old info. But I did remember it was too close for comfort.
Cucinelli is 7 points down; he’s sunk…
Too early to call buddy. The expected ultra low turnout turns it back in his favor, making this a wild card race.
“a pair of 44s (one with bayonet)”
You mean an M38 and an M44? The M44’s have the folding bayonett, the M38’s don’t.
There were 2 mod 44s. One had the folding bayonet blade removed, but the mount for it was still visible on the side of the rifle. A 38 never had the bayonet or mount.
I was just going by what the video maker said. I was unaware of the distinction that jwm listed.
Show off!
Jerry is doin’ his best Death the Kid!
Well he wasn’t very symmetrical but it’s a start
Makes me want to name twin handguns Liz and Patty~
If McC wins, it will because of a split in the conservative vote.
Thanks again Matt for the arfcom thread link. Like mentioned above, I’m certain you caused a bunch of donations to be made. At least one I’m sure of.
Last word is some complications and Jeff is in ICU after taking a turn for the not good.
Dammit, yeah, I meant to include the ICU detail and totally forgot. I feel like a shitheel.
Don’t.
You mentioned it again, and maybe more folks will see this, maybe donate, maybe offer a prayer, maybe even visit.
Ya done good!
+1
Voting is so easy yet it has cost so many so much. Please go out and vote with your 2A rights in mind and take someone like minded with you. Your vote will mean the difference.
Voting was never meant to be and should not be so easy. There should be no hinderance to voting, but it should require an effort on the part of the citizen. You really should be required as a minimum to get up off your fat ass and go to the polls to cast a vote. There is no way that you should be able to register by mail with a post card and no proof of residence or identity or citizenship. There is no way you should be able to vote by dropping a piece of paper in the mailbox and hoping it will actually be counted sometime. And there is no way that people should bring the ballot to your doorstep and hold your hand while you mark the boxes. “We esteem to lightly that which is acquired too cheaply” – I think that was Ben Franklin.
I’m working from home tomorrow so I can go vote.
As someone who leans more libertarian than conservative, vote for Cuccinelli if you want to keep your guns.
He legally can’t ban abortion or reinstate the sodomy laws. Supreme Court struck sodomy laws down nationwide.
But McAuliffe can make life hell for most gun owners in VA.
This. If you vote 3rd party to make your little point thanks for bringing the gun control circus to our front door. Even if Cuccinelli tried he’d get shut down, and if he didn’t you could still take up the issue with a firearm if you felt strongly enough. Stop giving away our rights to make a statement that is pointless. While some conservative thinkers are saner about all civil rights, you will never get a viable third party until the liberals stop voting as a block.
I guess the whole personal responsibility thing is kinda lost on you guys, huh? Don’t blame Libertarians for your candidates failure to win.
*your candidate’s
Some libertarian you are! Can’t fix your own mistakes, huh? Fine, I’ll do it for you!
Beat you to it by a whopping second! Although now I’m questioning my apostrophe use, and my grammatical world is crashing down around me.
Hmm… Yeah, should be candidates’
Don’t feel bad, I missed it too. I’m a grammar nazi, but I have to put it on suspend when I’m reading here, or I’d go all OCD freakout.
Musical chimes with the mosin. POTG are the coolest.
That showoff sumbitch doesn’t even have the decency to make his friggin’ trick shots look difficult. He’s standing there with his off-hand in his pocket like he’s waiting for a bus…
If you’re a Virginia gun owner and you don’t vote for Cuchinelli tomorrow, you’re an idiot and I don’t want to hear one goddamn complaint from you for the next four years. And I say this as a libertarian.
KJW, take note….that’s a trick shot.
I was thinking the same thing. Eggs at 30 yards with a .22? Please, I’ve fired a Ruger 10-22 on ONE occasion, the only rifle I’ve ever fired, and I’m confident I could manage that (though probably not with the same consistency). Making it a game, yeah, that’s harder but not really impressive.
Does she do real trick shots? I don’t want to hate, but I wonder if we made her a man if anyone would give a damn. But when a cute girl does it, suddenly we’re all OMFG TRICK SHOTZ!
Come on, she owns a $3,000 rifle. That alone tells me she HAS to be better than the videos I’ve seen, you don’t go drop that kind of coin (or if she is sponsored, nobody drops that kind of coin on you) for mediocrity. Her gun costs more than my car, for crying out loud! Though that probably speaks more to the crappiness of my car…
Anyways, your turn Kirsten. Show us what you’ve got!
Clarification: If we “made her a man” I do believe her boyfriend would take issue.
Hooray grammar.
I live in NOVA and will vote for Ken shortly. One thing that gives me hope about this race is the number of candidate’s Facebook supporters. Sarvis has 10K, Terry has 51K and Ken as over 162K supporters. I think that is a good sign of voter enthusiasm and we may see a upset with Ken winning today, or I at least hope so 🙂
It’s easy to click “Like” from the comfort of your couch. Much easier than actually doing anything. It’s true for Kony2012, it’s true for voting.
Wait…WE DIDN’T STOP KONY?!?! Say it isn’t so!
The effects of the recalls underway against dem gun control supporters will be swept away by the taking of the top slots in VA by dem gun control supporters. All you who sit out this election or vote for a 3rd party hoping for that 10% will have had a hand in undoing one of the bright spots for the pro gun crowd.
And VA will be on its way to being another constitution free zone like CA. The dems and their minions are playing a national and international game and a large part of the pro gun crowd are thinking and acting locally.
In VA if the elected federal senator can’t complete his term for whatever reason who picks his replacement? What about federal reps?
All the stay at homes and 3rd party “10%’ voters in VA have the chance to undo the good results of the colorado recall elections. Letting gun grabbing dems take the top slots in VA will encourage the antis at a national level. Why do you think kapo bloomberg spent so lavishly?
If a federal senator or rep can’t complete his term who appoints a successor from VA? The governor?
Good points, I just have a hard time getting upset about state elections unless it happens to be my state. If libertarians in VA wish to make a point by voting for a candidate who has zero chance, so be it. It is no skin off my nose. I just hope that when the Dem gets elected they will at least consider sending me any of their freshly outlawed shooting irons and mags and so forth. I will even pay for the shipping, because thats the type of guy I am.
For you gun owning Sarvis voters here is proof that Sarvis is a Democrat plant.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/11/05/revealed-obama-campaign-bundler-helping-fund-libertarian-in-tight-va-gubernatorial-race/
This bears repeating.
Cuccinelli doesn’t stand a chance, McAuliffe has a double-digit lead in polling.
As gun rights advocates, we should take this as a warning that we shouldn’t hitch our wagon to the Tea Party movement.
The Tea Party simply lacks the mainstream appeal. It’s one thing to win some gerrymandered congressional districts, it’s quite another to win Governorships and state Senate races.
In three stories on the subject, I see but a single comment that is not whining about how “third parties stole our votes!!!1!”, but an objective and frank assessment of the situation. Hats off to you, sir, but this is also depressing. I feel like most people on this ship will insist on clinging to it until it sinks, and then we’ll have one party left standing, and that one is broadly not pro-gun. We pro-gun liberals really need a strong second party that is pro-gun (and is not otherwise insane) as a stick to prod our own with, but GOP seems to be determined to ruin itself by social conservatism, and yet also to strangle libertarians lest they take over.
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