NY Congressional Candidate Can't Keep Thoughts On Guns Straight

Tedra Cobb is a name I haven’t written about in a couple of years.

Back in 2018, Cobb was running for Congress against Rep. Elise Stefanik. During the campaign, though, she decided to admit to some gun control advocates that she actually supported an assault weapon ban, even as she tried to pretend her position was otherwise.

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Well, she lost.

Now, she’s back and it seems, once again, she can’t keep from tripping over her anti-gun opinions.

The Democratic nominee for New York’s 21st Congressional District stumbled over a question about gun bans during a Wednesday-night debate.

Tedra Cobb, who is again facing off against Rep. Elise Stefanik (R.), appeared to contradict herself while discussing whether she supports banning guns like the popular AR-15. After attacking Stefanik’s opposition to several gun-control bills, Cobb initially said she did not support banning “assault rifle[s]” before saying she wants some sort of ban.

“I believe that we should respect responsible gun owners’ rights but I also believe that we should pass meaningful legislation banning … uh,” Cobb said before pausing. The slip-up could put her campaign in hot water with gun owners—a group she alienated in her unsuccessful 2018 run after admitting to volunteers she was concealing her support for a ban from the public. Her fumble comes with less than two weeks until the election.

Stefanik interjected to say Cobb’s comments showed that the Democrat supports banning AR-15s and other firearms. “She said it herself, banning assault weapons,” Stefanik said.

This isn’t likely to work out well for Cobb, to be sure.

However, Cobb opted to try and deflect. She accused Stefanik of being childish and lying about her.

Unfortunately for Cobb, she’s the one who brought up the word “banning.”

Additionally, she admits to supporting universal background checks, an anti-gun position all on its own. So, even if Stefanik happens to be wrong about an assault weapon ban–something unlikely since Cobb was recorded saying as much just two years ago–Cobb has only herself to blame for the mistake.

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The truth of the matter is that Cobb will say whatever she can to get elected. While she claims she listens to her constituents, that remains to be seen. Instead, she appears to morph into whatever she thinks will best put her in office and keep her there. Especially since she admitted two years ago that she wanted to ban guns but couldn’t say so or else she wouldn’t get elected.

Well, she didn’t. Now she’s back and seems to think that voters in the district should trust her words. The problem is, she has already proven herself to be a liar.

Meanwhile, she blames Stefanik for calling her out over it.

No, Rep. Stefanik is right to do so. I’d argue she’s morally-obligated to make a state for her constituents’ right to keep and bear arms, a right that no one can trust Cobb to uphold.

Frankly, Cobb would do well to remove the word “ban” from her vocabulary completely, but at this point, she really should consider giving up on running for Congress.

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