* From Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign…
As gun violence continues to plague many communities, Bruce Rauner’s continued support for the proliferation of semi-automatic, military-style assault weapons was highlighted in a new Web video from the Quinn for Illinois campaign.
The hard-hitting new video shows Rauner’s response at a Republican gubernatorial debate earlier this year, where Rauner voiced strong support for assault weapon ownership, and merely shrugged when an incredulous host asked, “When it would make sense to use an assault weapon?”
* Rate the YouTube video…
This is mostly about the all-important suburban female vote. It worked well against Bill Brady in 2010. We’ll see how it does this time.
- Happy Gun Owner - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:49 am:
(In jest).. Maybe Quinn should propose a bill to outlaw the use of handguns too, that way the criminals will stop using those too..
Listen, I understand the left’s call to outlaw “assault weapons” (whatever that means), but the reality is that these are not the kind of weapons that are plaguing the inner city. It is the straw purchases and otherwise illegally obtained hand guns.
You are not going to fix the problem by creating more laws that CRIMINALS will continue to ignore. You need to address the problems in the communities where these people live and breath (and die for that matter). It is much more socioeconomic than it is “assault weapons”.
- Levois - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:50 am:
Assault weapons are an easy “bogeyman” while there have been a lot of shootings this summer how many of them involve these assault weapons? If assault weapons aren’t an issue in these shootings then why make them the subject of any legislation?
- PMcP - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:50 am:
This is stupid. People aren’t being shot with those weapons, they’re being shot with handguns because you can conceal them. I’d much rather they ban handguns than anything else, essentially remove the need for concealed carry permits at that point.
- Skeptical - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:51 am:
I assume no one is taken by surprise here, right? Rauner pandering to the NRA is the party line, is it not? It is always safe to assume, ceteris paribus, that a Republican candidate will stick to the party approved talking points, yes? By the way, how many people do any of us know who choose to use an assault rifle “in thier own back yards?”
- Anon - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:54 am:
Standard issue good politics, bad policy.
How many people did “assault weapons” kill in Illinois?
Has their ban in Cook County solved the gun violence problem?
- Madison - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:54 am:
While the assualt weapons issue could be a winner with some categories of voters, a hypocricy remains. With majoritys in both houses, what did Pat do to stem the tide of violence?
- Happy Gun Owner - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:55 am:
By the way, how many people do any of us know who choose to use an assault rifle “in thier own back yards?”
@Skeptical - I do..
- Mason born - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:56 am:
Skeptical
Quite a few actually. Most of the winter for Coyotes. As for Pander wouldn’t it be Quinn pandering in attacking a type of firearm that isn’t an issue in the current crisis simply because it makes a better soundbite??
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:57 am:
Boy, Illinois is sure not like other states. Can you imagine launching this kind of hit in any other Midwest state. It’s a good attempt to find a wedge issue.
- Jimbo - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:01 am:
I don’t understand how this gets you more votes than it loses. But hey, I’m sure the NRA and ISRA were already going to pull out all of the stops against Quinn anyway. I guess it’s smart to get some votes on your side when the other side is already going to paint you as a gun control zealot (even with CC).
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:02 am:
If it becomes an Ad in the Chicago media market down the road, it may have legs to try to repeat 2010, but it’s still a good 1st run at it.
Also, it makes Rauner either embrace his statement, or back away, which could impact downstate 2A voters(?)
- Under Further Review - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:09 am:
It is a dead bang winner (excuse the pun) because Illinois has never attempted to utilize restrictive gun laws to curb crime before… Oops. My mistake.
Quinn is so obvious.
- Brookport Brandon - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:21 am:
Good for Quinn to focus on Rauner’s shrug at the end. The body language says as much as his words and it reveals some amount of disregard for the issue at hand. This is a bad time to appear to be uninterested in reducing gun violence and access to rapid fire weapons.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:21 am:
I think this is a pander job and don’t rank it high. I give it a D. I’m no expert on gun crimes, but the vast majority of them are with handguns (I think), not weapons like assault rifles.
If Quinn wants to do better with suburban women, shouldn’t the campaign do ads on the nursing homes/long-term care homes, like some have suggested, or the insider/outsider phoniness?
- A guy... - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:22 am:
Question might be is to Chicagoans: Do upwards of 23-23% wish they had the ability to defend their homes by any legal means possible? I would guess 1 out of 5 would appreciate that right.
The ad drags. They always do. Once again, might do more for Rauner than Quinn. Need some better concepting in their ad factory.
- Charlatan Heston - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:26 am:
Assault weapons aside,Rauner has to have a better response than a shrug.
- Toure's Latte - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:29 am:
==Once again, might do more for Rauner than Quinn. Need some better concepting in their ad factory.==
Agreed, and worth repeating.
- elginkevin - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:32 am:
Can we replace that tag line at the end with out of touch Governor?
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:32 am:
Jimbo:
The ISRA was pretty angry at Rauner for blowing off their event.
They look at him and think “Bloomberg.”
Quinn would have gotten more votes sowing discontent downstate.
Operating engineers and other building trades were ready to go all in for Quinn, this creates disgruntlement.
- Jimbo - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:36 am:
I forgot about Rauner’s snub. With that in mind, this isn’t going to draw more votes than it’ll lose. I still can’t see any union member voting for Rauner, but it wouldn’t be the first time folks voted against their own best (least bad) interest.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:37 am:
B+ good on content, sounds could be better.
do any of his investments fund weapons of any kind?
supporting the use of these weapons is about our streets and crime…ask police about the use of these weapons… and the use in the rest of the world. legality here equals production ability and use especially overseas. why does Boko Haram use assault weapons in their pix? to scare people even before firing a shot.
the weapons issue is about big business, the business of making weapons and lots of money.
- Tequila Mockingbird - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:38 am:
Typical. The urban gang shootings plaguing (parts of) Chicago and Cook Co are mostly handguns in the hands of people who can’t obtain them legally. But PQ will try to connect that issue to “assault weapons” and the many thousands of legal responsible gun owners, probably an effort to appease Bloomberg and his money because it sure ain’t a viable approach to urban gun violence.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:41 am:
YDD, like the Bloomberg reference.
Does the Quinn campaign realize that there is such a thing as a TV ad? Putting videos on Web just doesn’t cut it.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 10:43 am:
===Most of the winter for Coyotes===
Please tell me you have livestock/property to protect and you aren’t shooting coyotes for sport.
I grew up in a fairly rural area, I understand the need to eliminate nuisance animals to keep them from destroying property. But they are so closely related to dogs, and were fairly rare when I was growing up, that I’d hate to think their numbers are being culled because someone thinks it’s fun to shoot them.
- FormerParatrooper - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:02 am:
The argument is if we ban assault weapons then firearm crime will cease? Even if the most common definition of an assault weapon is used the fact is these are not the weapons of choice in the areas of firearm crime.
I don’t shoot an assault weapon in my backyard, BB guns with my granddaughter I shoot. I take my AR defense rifle to the range for sport and sometimes on trips for pig hunts out of state.
- Mason born - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:03 am:
47th
No offense and i really am not trying to upset you. Coyotes are not native to the area. (moved in when Wolves were pushed out) Coyote season is any weapon any time (minus Firearm dear season). Personally i have hunted them since i was 14. Since they have no other predator (apex without Human intervention) hunting them helps to keep their population in check. They are hard on pets and occasionally my dogs get into a scrap with them. More a risk of rabies than them actually killing the dogs. As you can see below their population continues to grow virtually unchecked.
http://m.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/directory_show.cfm?species=coyote.
- votecounter - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:10 am:
D- A regular voter will have to see the ad 10 times before they notice the shrug, even though it’s highlighted. This can only help Rauner with the building trades reminding them that Quinn is against all guns. They know using the term assault weapons is just a buzz word for gun control. BTW who has been Governor during this run up in shootings? What party has been in charge?
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:12 am:
Thanks for the info MB. Not my cup of tea, but to each his own.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:20 am:
What do you need to shoot your coyotes? Big ole 50 caliber rounds? Where’s the limit?
- Mason born - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:20 am:
I can’t speak for how this plays north of I-80. IMHO it seems south of it this is a miscalculation. Quinn is reminding people he is the one who wants to ban your guns. Which is a close step to Quinn is the one who tried to Veto CCW. It isn’t good that the best Rauner could do was shrug when asked about a use for an “assault weapon.” It may be that Quinn plans to supplement his Chicago area and Madison totals enough that downstate counts don’t matter.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:23 am:
==- votecounter - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:10 am:==
Think it through VC. GOP controlled the mansion during the height of murders and violent crime in the 1980s and 1990s.
Also, this a YouTube political ad. Most people won’t see it anyway. I think that’s why Rich wrote “YouTube.” He’s reminded people of this repeatedly recently. Most of things we are seeing on this blog aren’t making it anywhere near television.
- Palanon - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:32 am:
>>>>> I can’t speak for how this plays north of I-80. IMHO it seems south of it this is a miscalculation. Quinn is reminding people he is the one who wants to ban your guns.
All that Quinn needs to nebbish into another term lies north of I-80.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:37 am:
Palanon
I’m aware of that we have heard Before that Rauner needs to get 20%+ out of Chicago to have a hope of winning. I have to wonder if there is a floor Quinn needs downstate and that is what i am referring too.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:37 am:
But think of how many counties Quinn will lose! LOL
is there a hashtag that says Chicago Media Market?
- Mason born - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:38 am:
Amomyous 11:37 was me sorry.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:44 am:
===What do you need to shoot your coyotes? Big ole 50 caliber rounds?===
A buddy of mine uses his “assault rifle” - which is really just a rifle that looks “cool” - to hunt coyotes on his farm. He uses .223’s I think. Not certain.
- Mason born - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:49 am:
Rich
Typically a .223 or a .243 depending on range. The pelts have some value not much but bigger than that and the pelts are useless.
- Walter Mitty - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:49 am:
I think if you view objectively. How is this a plus for Quinn? Uh, anyone notice the murder rate in Chicago? Who has been Governor? Time will tell who this ad really helps. If I were Quinn. I would not go here, this is ripe for response to his leadership over the Chicago issue and the safety money that was not accounted for… This could and should blow up.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 11:52 am:
The last poll here had Quinn upside-down in the Cook suburbs. He has to flip that or he loses.
It’s a zero-sum game, coming in second does you no good. More social agenda to come.
- Todd - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 12:14 pm:
Quin needs to turnt he subject away from the failed violence $$ for votes hes being beat up on.
there are several responses to this and YDD hits on a problem for Quinn. So now a bunch of union guys like FF, building trades and the like will sit at the bar and say Quinn wants to take away our pension and our guns. hes signed one of those bills already.
Not hard to counter with the right message. Question is will team Rauner respond or ignore
- Todd - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 12:19 pm:
==What do you need to shoot your coyotes? Big ole 50 caliber rounds? Where’s the limit?==
what even works and your good with. Most ARs are in 5.56/.223 caliber. Thats mostly what I use.
You really should take a peek at the DNR hunting regs book and the page they have dedicated to coyotes, semi-autos and magazines.
- suntimes - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 12:27 pm:
If the cops stop using assault weapons, the public will stop. You need protection from the pigs dude.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 12:34 pm:
Dr. Quinn prescribes a band aid while we need surgery.
The violence taking place is not being caused by rpg’s, machine guns, knives, baseball bats, billy clubs or anything else that may be used as a weapon.
But addressing those deeper issues does not make for much of a commercial or an emotional press conference, so instead we get this.
- Anon - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 1:13 pm:
If this issue resonates with some voters, look for BR to respond. But will he do a flip on guns the way he’s done on the imcome tax hike?
- walker - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 1:48 pm:
Yellow Dog: ==”this creates disgruntlement”==
Yep. Right on target. Not sure what the balance will be.
- John Boch - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 2:09 pm:
Quinn’s gotta do something to distract from his record as governor and his Neighborhood Recovery Initiative-related scandals.
Everyone knows Governor Quinn has a high opinion of gun owners. We rate right up there with child sex offenders to Governor Clueless.
But then again, this fits his style of governing: Hang out in Chicago, don’t participate in the legislative process other than to toss rhetorical hand grenades into the mix from afar (Chicagoland) and then either take credit or cast blame depending on what the final product looks like. With leadership like Governor Quinn’s, it’s no wonder this state is in such wonderful shape. (Sarcasm off)
Pat Quinn will do well not to be a cellmate of Rod Blagojevich if the feds have their way with him thanks to his vote-buying NRI fiasco.
And pandering to suburban moms with his demagoguery about scary guns?
It’s trademark Pat Quinn.
Like Todd said, plenty of blue-collar folks who might be sort of ambivalent about guns are now sitting around saying to themselves that Quinn wants to take their guns AND their pensions.
And for the record: Bruce Rauner supports gun rights? You’re kidding, right?
The best of our thinking is that he probably isn’t as hostile to gun ownership as Quinn.
Neither Rauner nor any surrogates have reached out to appear at any Guns Save Life meetings in Central or Southern Illinois and I don’t look for that to change before this November.
John
- D.P.Gumby - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 3:06 pm:
There is no rational need for military style assault weapons any more than there was a need for SAM missiles in Ukraine. Quinn’s ad is a sincere statement of his position instead of Rauner’s pandering…so it goes.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 3:10 pm:
There is no rational need for Time Magazine, either.
Just sayin…
- Mason born - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 3:32 pm:
D.P. Gumby
Please explain how Quinn isn’t Pandering?? So called assault weapons are not the issue in Chicago yet Quinn singles out the one type that stirs up his target audience. The guns being used are small handguns yet that wasn’t his target.
- Chicago - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 3:52 pm:
Quinn is pandering to Bloomberg. The term assault weapon was coined by Hitler for propaganda and is being used for propaganda. Definition of assault weapon is automatic machine gun.
Machine guns are already illegal in Illinois. A semi automatic civilian sporting rifle is not an assault weapon. My rifle has not assaulted anyone.
Any weapon can be used to assault. All the murders in Chicago are being committed with pistols and not AR-15. It is being called an assault weapon to scare people who are ignorant about it and to ban it.
The AR-15 is the best selling rifle in the country and for good reason. It is light and has no recoil and is accurate and is good for self defense, target shooting and hunting.
It’s in common use by tens of millions of civilians and fires a .22 caliber bullet. Bloomberg’s people are not fooling anyone but low information voters.
- A guy... - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 3:54 pm:
Who’s gonna be shocked to see coyotes at the next press event on this?
- steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 4:06 pm:
They’ll scare the hell out of the chickens
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 4:18 pm:
Lol ing at no information voter brideport Brandon. “Assault weapons” fire no faster than any other gun. 1 shot per trigger pull..no such thing as rapid fire weapons
- A guy... - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 4:33 pm:
== steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 4:06 pm:
They’ll scare the hell out of the chickens===
How about that Schnorf…Chickens- Coyotes- and assault weapons at the same press conference- Food chain meets Circle of Life. Hope security lets the amateur camera guys capture it all on video.
- Judgment Day (on the road) - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 5:17 pm:
“Who’s gonna be shocked to see coyotes at the next press event on this?”
——————-
Call for Wyle E. Coyote, call for Wyle E. Coyote……
- Todd - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 6:13 pm:
The term assualt weapon as it applies to modern politcs was coined by the VPC hack josh sugarman
The germans named the st44 the sturmgewehr. But the term pushed inthe press was done by VPC as applied to semi-auto guns
- Ed - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 6:47 pm:
This stance could well put an AR or AK into most Il homes south of I-80 whether it’s needed or even appropriate–and just when the sales and prices were were lowering.Guess there will be more sale tax from gun shops.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 8:00 pm:
sturmgewher is actually storm rifle.
Josh Sugerman is not a hack, but he is a jerk. you have plenty of propaganda ministers on your side.
- Just Me - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 8:31 pm:
How about this instead of banning any type of guns, which only serves go take guns away from those who adhere to the law, start going after the gangs and criminal elements that are using guns that AREN’T legally purchased?? Guns ARE NOT the problem and more gun control is NOT the answer.
- steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 8:40 pm:
Me, heck of an idea! Wonder why no one besides you has thought of it?
To the post, there’s not a lot of support for “assault weapons” in the city and burbs, and that’s where Quinn has to win the election. Of course it won’t help downstate, but he can’t sink too much lower there anyway. It’s a campaign strategy, and probably a pretty good one, even if it isn’t exactly pristine governmentally or statistically.
- Mason born - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 8:47 pm:
Steve Schorf
Question. Is there a floor for quinn downstate? ? I agree it’s a good pander but can he go to far.
- steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jul 23, 14 @ 9:19 pm:
MB, I don’t know. One, I’ve been too far from it for too long, and two, Rauner is a wild card. There aren’t many models for elections for gov where the non-incumbent is a multi-millionare no one ever heard of before, who is going to spend (and have spent on his behalf) more than a candidate has ever spent before in a gubernatorial election in Illinois. I can make an assumption that I feel fairly comfortable about, that Rauner will run more than 25,000 votes better in the city and the burbs than Brady did 4 years ago, so that intuitively means Gov Quinn can’t give up much ground downstate, and he has to get turnout up in the city and burbs.
- defaultdotxbe - Thursday, Jul 24, 14 @ 1:45 am:
Todd and Amalia:
Sturmmgewehr does literally mean “storm rifle” however since, in English, the word storm is more commonly used in the meteorological sense than the military sense the term is generally translated as “assault rifle”
The alphanumeric designation of the rifle, StG-44 comes from the title sturmgewehr and the year 1944, when it entered service in the German armed forces
- Mason born - Thursday, Jul 24, 14 @ 7:34 am:
Steve
Thanks for the analysis. I haven’t seen or heard an ad yet. While i know the big contest is in Chicago and surrounds i haven’t heard anyone mention Quinn’s name without the tone you get when mentioning an Ex-wife. I know it is anecdotal but to me Quinn needs to start painting Rauner soon or else there may be a lot of Anyone but Quinn votes. Maybe worse hardcore dems staying home.
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 24, 14 @ 8:32 am:
@defaultdotxbe thanks.
although “Todd and Amalia” is just a scary phrase to see!
- Bart - Thursday, Jul 24, 14 @ 9:01 am:
It’s possible the “shrug” could have been a segue into a response. But with the 2 seconds that the moderator gave to give a response, who could get a word in before they moved on. Don’t ask a question if you don’t want an answer. If any one of those guys on the panel really believed what they are backing, they should have interrupted and given their response.
- Don Gwinn - Friday, Jul 25, 14 @ 6:57 am:
The video seems like an odd choice if they’re really hoping to use it to reach “suburban moms.” They went out of their way to end it with footage of Rauner being cut off and not allowed time to answer a question. It seems almost calculated to provoke sympathy for Rauner, aside from the issue. I figured it was made to be shared around by a relatively hard core of anti gun voters/activists.
But I don’t have pollsters or focus groups, so I’m guessing.
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