Washington candidate takes a shot at voter outreach

Clint Didier, a GOP U.S. House hopeful in Washington state has jumped into the campaign arms race with guns blazing (sorry).

Didier, who is part of a crowded field fighting to replace the retiring Rep. Doc Hastings, is wooing supporters with an online gun giveaway.

The tea party-style Republican and former NFL player is promising to give away three guns (two handguns — one in black and the other in pink — as well as an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle) as soon as he reaches either 10,000 “likes” on Facebook or 10,000 followers on Twitter.

Didier emphasizes that this is not a simple ploy for email addresses or campaign cash, but a ploy for freedom.

“As a farmer, I like to think my campaign is sowing the seeds of freedom,” Didier writes on his website. “That freedom must be nurtured, but it also must be defended. In fact, it’s our duty and a God-given right. The Second Amendment is the one that protects and guarantees all of our other freedoms. That's why Didier 4 Congress is giving away three brand new guns.”

Some Washington politicians have criticized Didier for staging his promotion so soon after a gunman killed one and injured three at Seattle Pacific University earlier this month. But Didier has fired back at those criticisms, saying guns are the only remedy to school shootings.

"All these shootings are occurring at gun-free zones by individuals on some type of drugs with mental issues," Didier told the Tri-City Herald. "The guns are not pulling the trigger, the people are pulling the trigger. These gun-free zones are enticing people to go to these areas to do these terrible deeds."

Didier played for the Washington (that would be Washington, D.C.) Redskins in the 1980s, but it is unclear if his former football fame and all-out support of the Second Amendment will be enough to win the election. A total of 12 candidates are running in the Aug. 5 primary.

Didier isn’t the first GOP hopeful to offer free guns in exchange for support. The New York Times reports that no fewer than three Republican candidates across the U.S. have pulled similar stunts this year.

For Republican politicians concerned about reaching their most politically motivated base, an aggressive campaign strategy like gun giveaways may be the perfect solution in an era where Americans are bombarded with a constant stream of gun-free campaign flyers and emails.

If Joe Carr, who is challenging Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, is any indication, the strategy has deep potential for success. He held a gun giveaway this year, and over 45,000 people entered the contest.