I came across an interesting story..
It appears that in an Arizona Democratic congressional primary in the 7th district, one of the candidates is using another candidate's support for "Stand Your Ground Laws" to attack him.
hard-hitting campaign mailer that invokes the shooting of Trayvon Martin has touched off a debate about racial politics in the fierce contest for Phoenix's 7th Congressional District, where support from African-American voters could be vital to victory.
The mailer from candidate Mary Rose Wilcox, who is Hispanic, features a bold illustration of Martin's face under a hoodie. "America doesn't need more Trayvon Martin tragedies," it reads.
It goes on to criticize her main opponent, Ruben Gallego, who is also Hispanic, for his B+ rating from the National Rifle Association and his vote for a "stand your ground"-type law as a state lawmaker.
(as an aside, does the Arizona Republic always bring in race so prominently?)
Trayvon Martin Mailer Wilcox by msaroff
Needless to say, any number of candidates are whining about this:
Gallego's campaign criticizes the mailer as "extreme," and a third candidate in the race, the Rev. Jarrett Maupin, who is biracial, calls it a "new low" in political pandering.
In a district with the highest number of African-Americans in the state, political-messaging experts say the mailer seeks to reach voters from that community in a visceral way, connecting Gallego to the Black teen's death. Wilcox's campaign acknowledges that intent.
There is a lot of hand wringing, but I think that this is a
GOOD thing.
Right now, you have, on the Democratic side of the political equation, a bunch of politicians who are profiles in political cowardice, running like cockroaches from common sense gun regulation, things like closing the gun show loophole, collecting statistics on gun sellers to find the bad actors, better background checks, etc.
They do this because there is no downside to being the NRA's bitch.
If we can create a situation where there is a downside to kowtowing to the NRA in the primaries, we will, over time (probably a wicked long time) create a group of politicians who will be willing to, and able to, support common sense gun policies.