Chris Christie – LonelyMachines

Shaheen Allen Pardoned

Shaheen Allen made the mistake of driving from Pennsylvania to New Jersey with a firearm in her car. She was arrested, charged, and convicted of a felony under New Jersey’s Graves Act. Initially, she was to face a mandatory 42 months in prison. Public outcry led prosecutors to allow her entry into a diversionary program in lieu of prison time, but she remained a convicted criminal.

Governor Christie has now pardoned her. His statement is here. Happy ending, right?

Tell that to Steffon Losey-Davis, who has yet to receive the governor’s beneficence, or to any other victims of New Jersey’s gun laws.

There is nothing in Christie’s pardon, or in any public statement he’s made to date, to indicate that he finds the Graves Act unfair or unconstitutional. I won’t hold my breath waiting, either. He ran for office in 1995 in support of New Jersey’s “assault weapons” ban.

So, why the change in heart with Ms.

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Civil Rights

Two Races

Ken Cuccinelli had all the answers the Tea Party wanted to hear, but he couldn’t win the governor’s spot in Virginia. The why of it is something the Republican party has to grasp if they hope to retain any relevancy.

The first mistake? Relying on NRA ratings. Democratic opponent McAuliffe has an F grade from the organization and he doesn’t care. In a debate at Virginia Tech two weeks ago, he said he was “fine” with it, adding “I’m not running to be president of the NRA. I’m running to be governor of Virginia.” The takeaway? That isn’t enough to tank a candidate in a swing state like Virginia.

The second was overestimating voter anger at the Affordable Care Act. The traditional math says that everybody hates it, but they don’t seem to hate it enough at the ballot box. Republicans seem intent on running against the ACA as a strategy, but that’s only going to be a relevant issue for next year’s midterms.

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