Posted on 03/15/2014 10:07:40 AM PDT by Kaslin
Michelle Nunn’s got a gun problem.
The Democratic Senate hopeful in Georgia, one half of the That 70’s Show ticket looking to bring the party back to prominence in the state, seems to have a problem telling voters where she’s at on the Second Amendment.
In a weekend interview, she voiced opposition to recently passed Georgia legislation loosening restrictions on carrying firearms in the state, which passed by an overwhelming margin. That in and of itself is unlikely to win any of the rural conservative votes needed to pull off an upset.
Then things got dodgy.
When asked if she supported the idea of cutting ammo clip sizes from 15 to 10 rounds, she said “I think there are a lot of different conversations around that, and I think it’s a little arbitrary how we define that, and so it’s not something that I’m focused on right now.”
If you’re scratching your head, you’re not the first one.
How in the name of common-sense is cutting ammo clip size defined arbitrarily? It’s a yes or no question, Nunn just can’t afford for Georgia voters to know where she stands on the issue.
Bad as it is, that answer came after she was pressed on the topic. Her initial response said even less.
That the issue is the Second Amendment is even more troubling given the forces powering her campaign.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg maxed out to Nunn’s campaign in the final fundraising quarter of 2013, this coming in the same year in which he called on donors to quit contributing to Democrats who oppose his pro-gun control agenda.
That led onlookers to speculate he’s got his eyes on some reciprocity if she emerges victorious.
Such musings and evasions are hardly welcome for a campaign already dependent on lightening in a bottle for an upset in November.
It’s hardly surprising, though, when you consider the national forces that are doling out donations and resources to support Nunn’s effort to net a vote for Harry Reid as Majority Leader.
Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, Howard Dean, and Hanoi Jane Fonda have all contributed since the launch of her bid in July. The majority leader himself teased her announcement by citing how necessary a Peach State victory is for both himself and the Obama administration to accomplish their agenda in coming years.
Given this week's NBC/WSJ poll, in which 48 percent of respondents said they were unlikely to vote for a "strong Obama supporter," those comments feed into Republican arguments against her.
One of Nunn’s first endorsers was pro-choice EMILY’s List, which her campaign made a point of declining to comment on publicly. Unfortunately for them, they were caught running Facebook ads touting their backing and calling for support so she “can keep fighting for the issues that matter to women and families.”
All of which reads more like a rap sheet than Democratic revival in a state like Georgia, which hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office in eight years, with the last senator being in 1996.
The only polls that have shown Nunn competitive with the crowded slate of Republicans vying for a shot have been conducted by Public Policy Polling, usually commissioned by proudly progressive outfit Better Georgia, and often shown as deeply misconstruing the makeup of Georgia’s electorate.
Just this week a survey generated national headlines for showing her tied or leading a handful of would-be rivals (though it couldn’t be bothered to include all major comers). When broken down by party, the poll’s electoral makeup simply said around half “generally vote in Republican primaries,” whatever that means.
In other words – we’re dealing with gamed polls to fit a narrative, not accurately reflect the current political winds of a state.
Much like digital ads touting a pro-choice group’s support says something on that issue, donations from the likes Bloomberg and the others serve as tell for Nunn’s feelings on the 2nd Amendment, among other issues.
We just aren’t likely to hear her talk about them from now until November.
Looks like she belongs in a corn fiend to protect the crops.
Michelle Nunn has a better chance of getting killed in a drone strike than getting elected to GA’s senate seat. It will be a Republican, hopefully Paul Broun.
I remember that conversation.
They’re running the grandson of Jimmy Carter and the son of Sam Nunn in an attempt to bring back the Democrats’ success in Georgia during the 1970s (when Jimmy Carter and Sam Nunn were political gold in the state).
Is this person a relative of Sam Nunn?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Nunn
Apparently his daughter. Politics is all about dynasties, it seems. Once you have the contacts they become mutually supportive and multi-generational. We’re fortunate the Kennedys are out of the picture.
I was just thinking that knowing the fate of Sam’s daughter probably will extend past November 4, 2014; that race will go well into Wednesday PM before she can be declared a winner. So, I would expect CBS to “not call” this race until the early morning hours of November 5, and even then they won’t be sure. Has GA ever defeated a Nunn; I am not sure but don’t think so.
GA voters are too uninformed to know who is and who isn’t for the Second Amendment. Many don’t know what the Second Amendment is.
Webb Hubbell sure got around.
She ain’t nuthin’ but a pencil neck geek.
Yeh for all you fellow Georgians who wax nostalgic about Sam Nunn. He was just another democrat.
Bill Clinton, Sam Nunn, Louise Slaughter, Jimmy Carter, Bob Graham, Lindsay Graham, Lloyd Doggett.
Broun is probably the only Republican that could lose.
I don’t think flattering photos of her exist.
MIchelle Nunn ain’t daddy. Don’t let the Dem hype get to you.
My comment has nothing to do any supposed electoral strength possessed by Nunn (I share your low opinion of her) but rather Broun’s weakness. Creationists in their late 60’s are not good candidates.
This is the year for electing right wing rads. Moderates just won’t do. They never change anythng. Go vote for Jack Kingston or Phil Gingrey. Both of them will go for amnesty. What do you think they will do? Compromise, compromise, compromise. It will be Saxby and Johnny lite.
Personally I don’t share your opinion that Broun is weak. I think he will win the senate seat.
Creationism is a wedge issue for rational people. His association with Ron Paul wing of the party is also a negative.
I favor Karen Handel over Gingrey and Kingston. Should could use some fundraising help by the looks of it.
Karen Handel is my 2nd choice after Broun. I am thinking yu are not from GA. The rural vote here will not be all that upset about the creationism thing. Don’t let the media smears get to you. Its pretty bogus. I could care less about it and a lot of others won’t care either.
Go to Time magazine and read the weak barforama rah rah article about Michelle Nunn. Its laughable. I just read it at the doctor’s office this afternoon. Its a joke.
Even if Broun cleaned up with the rural vote, he could still lose by underperforming in the Atlanta suburbs because he’s an outspoken creationist (not to mention a fellow traveler of the Paulbots). If he can’t get 55%+ in counties like Cobb and Gwinnett, or over 70% in the suburbs north of Atlanta, the Spawn of Nunn will beat him. While I don’t think that Broun would be an underdog against Nunn—it still is a midterm election in GA in a bad environment for Democrats—I definitely can see Nunn beating Broun, while I don’t think that any of the other Republican candidates would be in any danger of losing to Nunn.
My preferences are Handel, Gingrey and Kingston, in that order.
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