Virginia Democrat Congressional Candidate Calls NRA Supporters "Pure Trash"

Boy, Democrats in Virginia's 7th Congressional District sure have themselves a real live one for a candidate this year.  As the only announced Democrat to challenge incumbent Eric Cantor in November (Cantor still has to get past Dave Brat in the June 10th primary), Mike Dickinson has taken to Twitter the last couple of days to attack NRA members.

@danieljpayne @HustlerMag @NRA that the NRA is a god awful fear mongering group and those who support the NRA are pure trash
— DickinsonForCongress (@VoteMike2014) April 5, 2014

And here's another:

Members of the @NRA have very low IQs. They have a trigger finger mentality.
— DickinsonForCongress (@VoteMike2014) April 5, 2014

Dickinson calls NRA a "tiny group" with a big mouth, and using as justification for that description the NRA only has 4.8 million members while AARP has 83 million.  Then, he says he doesn't want the support of NRA members:

If you are a member or supporter of the @NRA I don't want your support. Joining the @NRA is like joining the crybaby association
— DickinsonForCongress (@VoteMike2014) April 5, 2014

Now, I don't know how many NRA members live in the 7th Congressional District, but there a lot of NRA members in Virginia, so if you are automatically going to write off a large chunk the population you are seeking to represent, doesn't it beg the question just how serious are you about the campaign?  A quick look at his Twitter feed gives us a glimpse of the type of person this guy is.

And it seems that at least some 7th District Democrats are none to pleased with their candidate.  Back in February, Dickenson spoke at the Spotsylvania Democratic Committee and received a grilling based on this Free Lance-Star Report:

But Spotsylvania Democratic Committee member Richard Toye told Dickinson that he thought there was “no way” that the 7th District Democratic Committee would nominate him at its convention. So far, no other Democrats have announced plans to seek the party’s nomination.

Toye expressed concern about Dickinson’s lack of experience and business dealings with strip clubs, among other issues. Dickinson said he has done consulting work for adult-oriented businesses.

If no other Democratic candidates come forward, “I’d have to support that no-candidate option” at the convention, Toye told Dickinson.

It also appears, based on the same article, that the NRA is not the only group of voters that Dickinson has singled out for attack:

Another item of contention was Dickinson’s recent letter to the editor of The Free Lance–Star claiming that a group of women in the Chesterfield County Democratic Committee opposed his candidacy because of his “background in business with adult clubs.” He wrote that “judging people by outdated stereotypes is exactly what Democrats are supposed to be against.”

Opal Stroup, a Spotsylvania Democratic Committee member, told Dickinson that she took exception to his letter. “You’re asking us to donate money to you, you’re asking us to work our butts off for you but then you write a letter to the editor that attacks women in Chesterfield,” Stroup said “Do you think that’s a real wise strategy?”

It remains to be seen if the 7th District Democratic Committee will vote to nominate Mr. Dickerson.  If they do, based on his Twitter feed, look for him to continue the gutter politics he has been practicing since announcing his run.

Update: A reader notes that Dickinson's Twitter account has been suspended.
Update 2: Dickinson failed to file as a candidate with the 7th District Democratic Committee by last week's April 10 deadline so the Committee has canceled the nominating committee.  The winner of the June 10th Republican Primary will for all intent and purposes be the occupant of the 7th District Congressional seat in Congress when the November General Election is over. Hat tip Cam and Company