GunPoliticsNY.com

I wasn’t kidding when I said the Senate Republicans are backing Cuomo over Astorino:

The far Left is attacking Gov. Cuomo’s new running mate Kathy Hochul:

“Can political placards and lawn signs be returned for a refund?  Many left-of-center Democrats are hoping that is what Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be asking in September if they have their way and his choice for a running mate, Erie County’s Kathy Hochul, is defeated in a party primary … Tim Wu, a Columbia University law professor seeking a primary bid against Hochul, says he believes there is enough uneasiness with Cuomo among liberal and many moderate Democrats that he has a chance to block Hochul’s path to be the governor’s running mate in November …”

Yet the media keeps pushing these obviously bogus polls saying Cuomo has a ridiculous lead over Rob Astorino.

“… Wu is making much of Hochul’s endorsement by the National Rifle Association in her failed 2012 congressional re-election bid …”

What for? Before Andy put her in hiding, Hochul said she supported SAFE:

“… Asked if she supported the SAFE Act, Hochul said: “Yes ,I do. I believe that it strikes the proper balance.  As everybody knows, I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment – and there are people who support the Second Amendment who also believe it’s reasonable to have background checks.  What happens is these issues get hijacked by people on the extremes, but the average gun owner from upstate New York understands that we have to be sure that guns are owned responsibly.”  The State Legislature passed the SAFE Act in early 2013, after Hochul had lost her congressional re-election bid to Republican Chris Collins, a former Erie County executive.  Hochul stressed, though, that she supports the measure “100 percent.” …”

That isn’t what almost everybody upstate, and many downstate, want to hear.  It is reasonable to assume Cuomo chose her to provide some upstate representation and saying things like that will not go over well there.  Add to that NYC Democrats dislike of her and, as I said last week, she was a lose-lose pick by Cuomo.

More evidence of deal between the Senate Republicans and Gov. Cuomo:

“… Sen. George Latimer’s GOP opponent is still not decided.  But Republicans have submitted petitions for a potential candidate: Jean Maisano, director of public relations at The Guidance Center of Westchester … Asked whether she was planning on challenging Latimer, Jean Maisano paused for eight seconds. “I haven’t made a decision on that,” she said … When asked whether she was a placeholder on the ballot until the GOP could find a Latimer opponent, Maisano returned to her statement: “Like I said, I’m happy to help ensure that the seat will be contested this year.” …”

You’re a placeholder.

“… The Latimer/Cohen race in 2012 was one of the nastiest in the state, with Democrats characterizing Cohen as a New York City slumlord and an anonymous group hammering Latimer with a series of mailers and advertisements …”

Cohen lost by like less than 1%.  Don’t tell me this wouldn’t be a competitive race again if the GOP put up a candidate.  The question is why haven’t they?  Surely there is some local councilman or supervisor interested in moving up the political food chain.

“… Privately, Senate Democrats have been preparing for a similarly bruising battle as they attempt to keep the seat in 2014 …”

I don’t believe that.  A serious contender would have been preparing to run 6-12 months ago, building momentum and money.  That hasn’t happened.  Anyone who jumps in now would be little more than paper candidate.

The way I see it, there is one of two possible reasons the GOP isn’t contesting this seat:

1. Westchester Republicans are morons (not out of the question).
2. There’s a backroom deal with Democrats and/or Cuomo to keep Latimer in office.

I’m going with #2 as being more probable.

The Pine Tree Rifle Club have this billboard set up on State Highway 30 in the Town of Perth.  It will be up through election day.

Rob Astorino is creating another ballot line for himself, “Stop Common Core.”  This isn’t a new tactic for candidates, but given the unpopularity of the curriculum it could help him on election day.

He ought to do a second one, “F.U.A.C.,” for gun owners to register their displeasure.

Mayor Bloomberg is surveying candidates:

“… The gun-control group founded by former New York mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I) will begin surveying all federal candidates in the 2014 midterm elections on gun issues Monday as it tries to become a political counterweight to the National Rifle Association …”

Bring it on.

“… Bloomberg’s group, Everytown for Gun Safety, is asking all Senate and House incumbents and candidates to complete a 10-part questionnaire stating publicly where they stand on issues such as expanding background checks for gun buyers, limiting the capacity of ammunition magazines and toughening gun-trafficking statutes …”

They really just need one question:  Will you suck Bloomberg’s dick for money?

“… The survey intends to make candidates state their positions on the record for the first time.  Everytown plans to use their answers — as well as an analysis of any past legislative votes and public statements — to rally voters for or against them in key Senate and House races this fall, similar to how the NRA uses its ratings system to motivate pro-gun-rights voters …”

Here’s where they fail:  The NRA has an actual constituency, Bloomberg has nothing but astroturf.  We have been through this many times before.

“… “We’re going to be very, very data-driven, metrics-driven, making sure that we identify the people who care about this issue,” said Mitch Stewart, formerly the Obama campaign’s battleground-states director and now a political consultant advising Everytown …”

It’s going to be a very small number.

“… “The NRA, they have this aura of being invincible,” Stewart said. “We’re going to show these candidates and these members of Congress that there is a sizable group of people in their districts and states who care about these issues and they’re going to demand some answers.” …”

There is a huge difference between “caring” about an issue and going out and voting based upon that. There is a reason groups like Brady, NYAGV, etc. largely gave up on trying to influence elections.

The Post reports Gov. Cuomo is hiding his Kathy Hochul from the public:

“… Key state Democrats told The Post that Cuomo has ordered Hochul “kept under wraps,’’ in the words of one, to prevent her more conservative views from upending his re-election campaign among liberal New York City Democrats, especially Hispanics …”

More proof that Cuomo has a huge problem with Democrats which the media is doing their best to downplay.

So, what makes her so horrible?

“… Hochul, who received a top rating from the National Rifle Association when she ran for Congress and strongly opposed former Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s efforts to grant driver’s licenses to illegal aliens when she was Erie County clerk …”

If this is so bad for Cuomo, then why did he choose her in the first place?  I assume it was to pander to upstate, but for that strategy to work she would need to have a very visible presence in the campaign at least in that area which thus far she hasn’t.  That makes her pick a lose-lose for the Governor.

I haven’t seen any complaints from feminists about Hochul’s lack of visibility either.  I guess allowing women to speak and have their own opinions isn’t part of the “women’s agenda.”