Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Terry McAuliffe — Call Him Crazy

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,

by Kerry Dougherty

OK, Terry, you asked for it. We’re going to call you crazy because the notion that it’s easier to buy a gun in Virginia than it is to vote is insane. And clearly that’s what you’re implying with your silly Tweet. So here’s a little quiz to test your knowledge of Virginia gun and voting laws:

Do you have to be 21 to vote? (You have to be 21 to purchase a handgun.) Nope.

Do you have to pass a criminal background check to vote? Nope.

Can you vote if you’re insane? Yep.

Can you vote if you have a history of domestic violence? Yep.

Can you vote if there’s a protective order against you involving a spouse or former spouse? Yep.

Can you vote if you’ve been convicted of misdemeanor assault and battery of a family member? Yep.

I could go on.

The list of acts that prohibit gun ownership in Virginia is longer than Leviticus. Read it over and get back to me about the ease with which one can purchase a gun in the commonwealth.

Sheesh.

How desperate must the McAuliffe campaign be to be Tweeting nonsense like this?

One of two things must be true: Either Terry McAuliffe — or his Tweet ghostwriter — is ignorant of Virginia’s gun laws, or he’s lying.

I’m going with the second option. This is the sort of thing lazy politicians do. They fabricate a lie, they say it often, they count on the slobbering lapdogs in the media to parrot it, and pretty soon the lemmings in their party are saying things like, It’s easier to buy a gun in Virginia than it is to vote!

This falsehood — that it’s easier to buy a gun than vote — is the new mantra of the left as they fight voter integrity laws that make it harder to cheat.

McAuliffe didn’t get away with it. There were more than 8,000 responses to McAuliffe’s Tuesday morning Tweet. The ratio was wild. I saw only a handful of responses that supported the former governor.

The rest were brutal. Here, read a couple for yourself:

Look, Terry, if you want to be governor of Virginia again, have some modicum of respect for the voters.

Stick with the truth. Stop lying.

This column has been republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed & Unedited.

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31 responses to “Terry McAuliffe — Call Him Crazy”

  1. Matt Adams Avatar
    Matt Adams

    Terrbear needs to learn the difference between a Civil Right and a privilege.

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Articles I, II, and amendments 13 and 19 establish voting as a right for all citizens. So, I assume that you are saying gun ownership is a privilege, since, as Kerry sets out, there are a lot of limitations on gun ownership.

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        Excellent! You can be snarky. I’ve not seen you do that before. It’s fun once in awhile isn’t it?

        PS – I was kind of wondering what he was driving at myself, since as we know both voting and gun ownership are clearly well-established rights.

        1. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          Ahem, they are not.

          Voting is an established privilege by each State.

          Firearm ownership is a “right” established in word via the Constitution.

          His snark wasn’t warranted and was just his own hubris to which I hung him.

          1. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            The 14th Amendment specifically references “the right to vote”

            The 15th Amendment specifically references “The right of citizens of the United States to vote…”

            The 19th amendment specifically references “The right of citizens of the United States to vote…”

            The 24th Amendment specifically references “The right of citizens of the United States to vote…”

            The 26th Amendment specifically references “The right of citizens of the United States to vote…”

            Clearly, voting is considered a right under our Constitution.

          2. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            False, they define the criteria to which you cannot be denied. The text stating there is a “United States Citizens have the right” to Vote does not exist in the Constitution which is a statement a doctrine that has been reaffirmed by the Supreme Court.

            The right to own a firearm is established in the Constitution and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court.

            People state the “right” to Vote is implied in the Constitution, which is not. It is directed to the States to manage, which they do in their own Laws with respect to the previous mentioned Amendments.

            https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt15_S1_1_1_1/

      2. Matt Adams Avatar
        Matt Adams

        The Bill of Rights establishes Civil Rights for the citizens (2nd Amendment).

        Voting is a privilege which can and is removed when one breaks the Law.

        I’ll address your misunderstandings of the Law in the follow (although as someone who graced the halls of our State House, you’re lack of knowledge is telling):

        Article I: Doesn’t convey anything about voting outside of Section 3: nullified by 17th Amendment. As well as the VP being President of the Senate without a vote unless equally divided. Section 7 discussing voting in the chambers of Congress on Bills.

        Article II: Defines the method in which election occurs (i.e. Electoral College). Of which the method for section of the VP was modified by the 12th Amendment, otherwise you would’ve had Trump Presidency with a Clinton Vice Presidency.

        13th Amendment: Abolished slavery or servitude unless as punishment for a crime following a conviction. Does not pertain to voting at all. The 14th applied all “privileges or immunities” to all individuals born or naturalized on our soil (Section 1). The additional sections of the 14th describe other activities of Congress people.

        You missed the 15th Amendment defining that an individual cannot be denied the ability to vote based upon race or previous life of servitude.

        17th Amendment discussed previously makes Senators direct elect. (should be repealed, in my opinion).

        19th Amendment: Established that citizens shall not be denied the ability to vote based upon sex.

        24th Amendment: Outlawed poll taxes are a barrier to vote

        25th Amendment: Ala JFK getting his brains blown out, but rooted in FDR being a greedy bastard.

        26th Amendment: Outlines you cannot be denied the ability to vote based upon age (18).

        I’m thoroughly disappointed is your lack of knowledge on the amendments and assigning abilities to some which are not contained in the text. You’re better than that, don’t be NN and Larry.

        States determine voting “rights” as established by the Constitution and the USSC. They also determine what takes that “right” away. Therefore it’s a privilege.

        The 2nd Amendment is a defined right from the Text of the Constitution. A violent felony conviction didn’t remove that right until 1934 via the FRA and in 1968 the GCA removed that right from non-violent felons.

        Edit: Here’s a little cheat sheet:

        https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/08/26/the-right-to-vote-is-not-in-the-constitution/

        1. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          “17th Amendment discussed previously makes Senators direct elect. (should be repealed, in my opinion).”

          PS – I agree with you there.

          1. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            Nothing like making the upper house into a popularity contest without the best interest of the state in mind.

            I’m also for repealing the 12th, winner gets to be POTUS, loser gets to be VP. We’d have less partisanship and more balanced governing. That damn Jefferson, Adams rift gave up this crap.

          2. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            The one I’d really like to see repealed is the 16th.

            😉

          3. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            Amen, f’ Alexander Hamilton.

        2. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          “The Bill of Rights establishes Civil Rights for the citizens..’

          The Bill of Rights does not establish anything. The rights it enumerates are rights which we already have, and by its own admission it is not a comprehensive list (See Amendments 9 & 10).

          The Bill of Rights (and the rest of the Constitution) is a contract with the federal government in which said government agrees not to infringe on those rights.

          1. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            Yes, yes it does. The first 10 Amendments spell out rights of the people in relation to the Government. It guarantees those civil rights and liberties.

            “The Bill of Rights does not establish anything. The rights it enumerates are rights which we already have, and by its own admission it is not a comprehensive list (See Amendments 9 & 10).”

            I’m sorry that I wrote that poorly, that was not my intention. The Constitutions clearly indicates our rights are form the Creator (which ever God and deity you prefer) however your strawman is noted.

            “The Bill of Rights (and the rest of the Constitution) is a contract with the federal government in which said government agrees not to infringe on those rights.”

            Again, strawman and not relevant.

            The phrase “United States Citizens right to vote” is not established in the Constitution. It is enumerated to the States to determine what those rights are or are not. The plethora of amendments that tailor how States Laws can be drafted is not implication of a federal “right” to vote. The Supreme Court of the United States has thus established this very position.

            Should you vote, yes. Do you have the right to vote, if your state has determined no within the guidelines established you do not. Now you can have your ability to vote restored following a set of requirements if you have broken the law.

            The crux of the matter is that one principle is established in the text of the Constitution, the other is not and never has been. Therefore in keeping with the Supreme Court’s decisions on the matter voting is a privilege not a right.

      3. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        correct – but NEITHER are really specific about details nor the means.

        The Constitution does a terrible job of being explicit about what “arms” are or are not and as a result we have significant differences of opinion, legislation and judicial interpretation.

        On voting as a “right” – there are all kinds of ways that can make it much easier or much harder.

        You can “suppress” but the “right” is still there – just much harder.

        The “right” to vote and to bear arms is a conundrum rife with disagreements.

  2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    “Can you vote if there’s a protective order against you involving a spouse or former spouse? Yep.

    Can you vote if you’ve been convicted of misdemeanor assault and battery of a family member? Yep.”

    So Kerry wishes to arm all the wife beaters in Virginia. Duly noted…

    1. Atlas Rand Avatar
      Atlas Rand

      No reasonable reading of the post supports arriving at that conclusion. She simply uses it to reinforce her point that there are in fact more restrictions on gun ownership than voting. You can do better than that.

      1. Matt Adams Avatar
        Matt Adams

        No he can’t, he’s a half-wit troll.

    2. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      “So Kerry wishes to arm all the wife beaters in Virginia. ”

      I’ll try to “channel” Mr. Brian Littleton: That is not a good point. Kerry did not say she wishes to arm all wife-beaters.
      She says a lot of silly things, but as they say, “that ain’t one of them”.

      1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        Clearly that what she’s implying with her silly article…

        (hint: see Kerry’s first paragraph… what’s good for the goose…)

        1. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          So you’re admitting you’re generating your standard Strawman?

          1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            I admit I am following Kerry’s lead…

          2. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            No, you’re generating a strawman because that is an easier argument for you to defeat, rather than the real one.

        2. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          I see no such implication, clear or otherwise.

          1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            I respect your choice then…

  3. Steve Gillispie Avatar
    Steve Gillispie

    Stick with the truth……..

    Democrats would lose every election if only eligible voters could only vote once and they did that.

    The media would have to replace virtually their entire personnel.

    That is a far off day perhaps never to be seen again.

  4. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Neither voting nor gun rights are unlimited and unrestricted though.

    but as much as it pains me, Kerry may have a point for once.

  5. tmtfairfax Avatar
    tmtfairfax

    I moved to NoVa from Iowa in late 1984, an election year. I was working in D.C.; living in temporary quarters; had purchased, but not settled on, a house in Arlington; had sold my house in Des Moines to my employer, but not closed, by election day. As I understood the law, I was still a domiciliary of Iowa and not D.C. or Virginia. I voted absentee in Iowa under that state’s rules and timeframes. Was I entitled to vote in the District and/or Virginia, as well? One can vote only if qualified under law and subject to reasonable rules and conditions. This one is over Old Terr Bear’s understanding. Voting is not an absolute right any more than owning and bearing arms or the right to be free from government searches. If a Fairfax County police officer comes to my door with an official search warrant, my house gets searched.

    1. Matt Adams Avatar
      Matt Adams

      The right to keep and bear arms is explicitly outlined in the Constitution. The “right” to vote is not and it’s privilege to do so it left to the states discretion (as long as it doesn’t cross the Amendments prohibiting discrimination thereof) .

      1. tmtfairfax Avatar
        tmtfairfax

        Damn few people were able to vote when this country was founded. Since then, elected officials have enacted laws that expanded the vote to more and more people.

        But at the same time that voting was restricted, courts and legislative bodies recognized the right to bear arms, most certainly on a broader basis than the right to bear arms. Lots of people in 18th and early 19th Centuries had personal firearms who couldn’t also vote. Too bad this sails over the head of so many people, most especially in the MSM.

  6. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    It IS easier to vote than it is to buy a gun. Terry McAuliffe is a lying, hyperbolic jackass.

  7. David Avatar
    David

    #pleaseGodnotmcauliff

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