We’ve written at some depth in the past about Minnesota Gun Rights – an astroturf fundraising group that raises a lot of money and generates a lot of strident social media about 2nd Amendment politics in Minnesota, but has never actually delivered any significant results. A bipartisan selection of Minnesota’s most committed pro-human-rights legislators repudiated MGR a few years back.
In 2014, they dropped a few boxes of literature in the Roz Peterson race in Burnsville – and claimed credit for the victory. This, and a couple of misplaced ads on AM1130, were their total effort that cycle.
In this primary cycle, they sent a lot of email to the Hackbarth/Bahr race, and also direct-mailed GOP activists in the Daudt/Duff race.
Well, guess what?
MGR is claiming credit for Cal Bahr’s victory over Hackbarth in HD31B – as seen in the social-media meme that’s been circulating all day today
Near as I’ve been able to find from my sources on the subject, MGR’s entire “campaign” in the Bahr/Hackbarth contest was email.
But let’s break it down: Tom Hackbarth had:
- become not especially popular in his district anymore
- lost the endorsement of a district with a very well-organized party unit.
- not lost the endorsement of either of Minnesota’s legitimate human rights groups (GOCRA and MNGOPAC/MNGOC), due to his flawless human rights voting record – but then, Bahr looks very strong on the issue, too, and both groups noted it).
So sure. Of course a couple of emails from MGR did the trick.
Of course, MGR expended even more effort in the Daudt/Duff race next door in 31A, apparently even sending paper mail – a sign of real commitment.
And the results? Daudt stomped Duff.
Rob Doar of MNGOPAC/MNGOC said in social media “[MGR] swung much… much harder at Daudt, who won with over 72% of the vote…If they had any sort of political power, it surely would have manifested next door in 31A. They are riding coattails, spinning stories…”
Friends don’t let friends repeat MGR claims.
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