Free guns are the hot new conservative campaign gimmick

Conservative candidates are taking their best shot at beating their opponents in the 2014 election cycle — and that includes giving away free guns to supporters.

Mother Jones has compiled a list of more than a dozen candidates that have offered up a variety of firepower, ranging from pistols, to shotguns, to a customized AR-15.

This isn’t the first time such a tactic has been employed, but based on the number of candidates doing it now, giving away free guns appears to be one of the hottest campaign gimmicks for conservative candidates in 2014.

For example:

Colorado gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo (R) is pairing up with Ted Nugent to give away one AR-15 to a supporter.

Joe Carr, a Tennessee state representative, is giving away a Beretta 92A1 to someone on his email list.

Hendricks County, Ind. sheriff candidate Steve Wagner is raffling off four shotguns.

Greg Brophy, a Colorado state senator is not only offering a Smith & Wesson M&P15 to someone on his email list, but he’s heavily modified it. “I tricked this baby out with all the MagPul stuff you can add!”

At a rally, Texas state representative candidate Chuck Maricle gave away an AR-15.

How successul is the guns for votes tactic? Not very. Mother Jones reports that dating back to 1994, only three incumbent politicians that tried to sway the vote with guns have won their races.

Via Mother Jones