Virginia Gov Race: Kilgore (R) Refuses to Answer Gun Survey

Virginia Citizen's Defense League ^ | 10/04/2005 | Philip Van Cleave

[BlackRain]

The Virginia Citizens Defense League is non-partisan. We are only asking all the candidates to take a position on specific issues of concern to Virginia's gun owners, so that gun owners might make an informed choice. We believe this to be a reasonable request, and remain perplexed by the hostility that this has generated from the Kilgore campaign.

The emails on which I have been cc'ed from gun owners across the state run the gamut from *pleading* with Mr. Kilgore to answer the VCDL survey and take a stand on gun rights, to furious gun owners saying that they have removed Kilgore campaign signs from their lawns and offices and Kilgore bumper stickers from their vehicles.

The sheer frustration of gun owners is apparent in various Internet chat rooms. Here are a few samplings:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=8&f=24&t=211454 http://www.packing.org/community/laws_politics/listview/2632

BTW, the Kilgore campaign web site no longer has email links or contact info for the key campaign staff. Too much incoming email?

Technical snafu?

On the positive side Kilgore's site has put up a Second Amendment item link on the front page of the web site. I don't recall that being there before.

Russ Potts' web site makes no mention of firearms that I could find.

Tim Kaine has a Second Amendment section on his site.

The VCDL surveys (including Tim Kaine's survey) and the Delegate voting record for the last two years will be posted on the VCDL web site next week. I will send an alert as soon as it is up. VCDL's vice president, Jim Snyder, is working on this. I have seen a preliminary web page and it is going to be easy to use and really look great!

Candidates Kilgore and Potts still have time to get their surveys in. But that time is up the second that Kaine's survey, and the other Delegate surveys, are posted on the VCDL site.

Finally, I was asked, and quite fairly, by a member, "Would VCDL have put up this big of a fight to get a survey from *Kaine* if Kilgore had turned in his survey, but Kaine had not?"

YOU BET! If a candidate for Governor is running on being gun friendly and is asking for the support of gun owners, we are going to fight to get that candidate to turn in his or her survey until either we get it or time is up.

Tim Kaine stepped up to the podium. Now the question is will Jerry Kilgore and Russ Potts be no-shows or are they going to help us make an informed decision come November 8th?

[AuH2ORepublican]

"I am not advocating protest votes. I am just telling him that in order for his protest to count it has to be quantifiable."

---

Well, it sure sounded like you were advocating protest votes instead of voting for Kilgore. As I said, Kilgore has consistently supported gun rights and deserves the support of everyone who cares about the Second Amendment.

But, as a general matter, you are correct that for a protest to count one needs to actually vote, and to vote in a way in which only those that agree with you would vote (voting for Kaine, for example, would be counterproductive, because the gun-grabbers would say "see, our candidate got votes even in supposedly pro-gun counties, which shows that even rural Virginians believe in gun control).

[BushisTheMan]

So why don't you elect him and then press him on the issue.

What's the stance of the OTHER guy? Pro-gun?

Cut off nose attitude...

[Mini-14]

NRA ratings are meaningless, as they have a history of endorsing anti-rights individuals. For example, in Illinois, they sent me a postcard requesting I vote for Joe Birkett for AG, even though Joe Birkett had publicly opposed right-to-carry.

In North Carolina, NRA changed its rating from Governor Mike Easley from "F" to "A" in exchange for his support of a bill which created a NRA logo on certain license plates.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"NRA ratings are meaningless"

---

So NRA ratings are meaningless, yet a questionnaire in which each campaign can answer however the heck it wants somehow sheds light on how a politician will act once in office? Kilgore has consistently said that he is pro-gun, and his past performance in office and NRA ratings and endorsements prove that he means it. On the other hand, Kaine has consistently acted as a gun-grabber and has earned F ratings from the NRA.

Were Kaine to answer in a questionnaire that he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, would you believe him? And would you support him over Kilgore if Kilgore doesn't return an answered questionnaire? Those seem like rather silly things on which to base a vote. Kilgore's words and deeds have proved him to be a supporter of gun rights, and if you care about the right to keep and bear arms you should support his candidacy over that of the gun-grabber Kaine.

[cryptical]

Cut off nose attitude...

When voters consistantly let candidates slide because the other guy is worse, is there any reason for candidates to respect voters?

Maybe you don't get what you want this election, but the next guy who wants to be Governor, or Senator, or Congressman will know that the VCDL doesn't compromise.

Respect or fear, at the end of the day the results look pretty close to the same.

[BushisTheMan]

Brilliant, don't vote then. You get what you don't vote for.

There is never a perfect candidate...so looks like you will never be voting again.

[Gabz]

OOPS.......

My comment about my concern about the race comes across wrong.............I have no concern about/against Jerry Kilgore - my concern is the posibility of a low turnout because of the attitude of some people such as those posting on this thread.

But all is not lost........I actually turned an old time die hard dem to Jerry last week.......and not totally on the 2nd amendment issue.

[Gabz]

I had to leave the puter for a bit - my response at 27 comments on that - sort of.

[Ligeia]

The Sportsmen for Kilgore cordially invite you to join

Jerry Kilgore, Republican Candidate for Governor

With Special Guest

Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice-President, National Rifle Association (NRA)

For a major announcement

On

Thursday, October 6, 2005

At the following locations:

9:00am Winchester Airport
491 Airport Road, Winchester, Virginia
Location: Airport Atrium

10:15am Harrisonburg/Staunton - Shenandoah Valley Airport
77 Aviation Circle
Weyers Cave, Virginia
Location: Terminal Lobby

11:30am Roanoke - Piedmont Aviation
22 Waypoint Drive
Roanoke, Virginia
Location: Parking Lot (Rain location: Atrium)

12:45pm Abingdon/Bristol - Virginia Highlands Airport
18521 Lee Highway, Abingdon, Virginia
Location: Airport Atrium

1:45pm Danville Airport
424 Airport Drive, Danville, Virginia
Location: Airport Lobby

For more information, please contact Grant Hewitt at (804) 512-5176 or via email: Grant@rpv.org.

For more information on Jerry Kilgore's record and agenda on Second Amendment issues or to join the "Sportsmen for Kilgore" coalition, please click here.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paid for and authorized by Virginians For Jerry Kilgore (804) 421-9966 • (804) 421-9968 fax P.O. Box 17098, Richmond, VA 23226

[Mini-14]

I never said that Kilgore is not a better candidate than the alternative. I simply point out that NRA ratings are meaningless and the examples I made support that point.

Kilgore claims that Philip Van Cleave is irrelevant to gun rights. I know that is simply false, and anyone who is familiar with gun rights in Virginia knows that he is the single most relevant individual in Virginia with respect to such matters.  In fact his work is impacting gun rights in other states.  Here is an example of some of his work, which is a petition to harmonize the federal government's rules on carry in National Parks, with the states laws in which the parks reside:  www.vcdl.org/new/Petition_for_Rulemaking.pdf

If I lived in Virginia, I would write in Philip Van Cleave for governor.

[P8riot]

I was just saying that if he was going to protest. To make it count. I didn't say don't vote for Kilgore or vote for Van Cleave. I just proposed it as an option to not voting. If you read my post carefully you will see this.

[Gabz]

If he will not take a position on this matter, I simply will not vote at all and see what happens.

I'm a smoker and have a very hard time with the fact Mrs. Kilgore worked for the anti-smoker/anti-tobacco organization set up under the extortion of smokers known as the MSA and even her resignation from her position doesn't sit well with me - HOWVER, I am not have never been a single issue voter, I do my best to look at the ENTIRE picture.

In my mind the entire picture tells me 4 more years of Warner (which is what Kaine would be) will be a disaster for Virginia. Granted, I've only lived here for 2.5 years...however I started paying attention to what was going on here not long after we decided to move here and that was 5 years ago.

[montag813]

What the hell is the "Virginia Citizens Defense League", and why on earth should he answer their questionaire? This sounds like a brazen attempt at self-promotion by that organization.

[Cautor]

I think the way the mainstream Republicans in VA treated Ollie North (I still remember what you did Senator Warner), it was all downhill except for Allen. Since Warner has been governor, most Republicans in Richmond have been as enthusiastic about tax increases as the Dems.

[Gabz]

Cool.........unfortunately nothing I can attend.

[BlackRain]

"If you truly care about the right to keep and bear arms, you should support Kilgore and disregard whether or not he answers that survey."

This is rather telling. Ignore a candidates non-position on a very important issue and vote for him away?

The real question is why Kilgore won't answer? What is he hiding?

The NRA rating is a simple endorsement and is NOT a reflection on Mr. Kilgore's public statements. Kilgore has avoided making any positions on gun control known in the Viriginia newspapers.

[Ligeia]

Sportsmen for Kilgore

[P8riot]

What the hell is the "Virginia Citizens Defense League", and why on earth should he answer their questionaire?

The Virginia Citizen's Defense League is THE most effective grass roots pro-gun organization in Virginia. The NRA and VSSA pale in comparison to the VCDL. The VCDL is responsible for Virginia becoming a "Shall Issue" concealed carry state, removing restrictions on concealed carry statewide, removing draconian local gun ordinances in favor of uniform statewide laws (pre-emption), and holding local government's feet to the fire when they refuse to follow state law. I suggest that you look at their homepage (link above) and you will se what I am talking about. The VCDL is also pressing the federal government to allow concealed weapons carry in national parks , and is being quite successful.

I am a Life Mmeber of the NRA, but I am prouder of the accomplishments of the VCDL than the NRA in most cases. The NRA track record in Virginia is not good. They have been known to back anti-gun Republican incumbents over pro-gun Republican challengers in statewide and local elections and primaries.

[kabar]

What the hell is the "Virginia Citizens Defense League", and why on earth should he answer their questionaire? This sounds like a brazen attempt at self-promotion by that organization.

Agreed. There must be more to this than what the VCDL is putting out. Unless I missed something, I noticed that the VCDL did not publish the results of the Kaine survey. In any event, I am voting for Kilgore. We don't need another tax and spend Dem in charge here.

[Gabz]

Those seem like rather silly things on which to base a vote.

The sad fact is people vote or don't vote for even sillier reasons because they choose to not look at the entire picture and only look at one issue.

I live in VA and am a gun owner, but until today never heard of the VCDL. But I sure do know the history of Kilgore and Kaine on guns and private ownership.