Gun Control Becomes Key Issue Late in Governor's Race

The Washington Post had this article over the weekend on how gun control surfaced as a key issue in the final weeks of the Virginia Governor's race:

For once, a Democrat is talking tough about gun control, as if daring the National Rifle Association to take him on. And gun-rights advocates are all too happy to take him up on the challenge.

The article's author, Freddie Kunkle spoke with folks on both side of the issue and not surprising, the gun ban lobby said the NRA doesn't have the power that they want people to think they have.  But if that was the case, why did it take until polls started showing McAuliffe with as much as a double-digit lead before he forcefully starting pitching gun control?

Differences over gun control between Cuccinelli, the state’s attorney general, and McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, were not a secret before that debate. But Democrats rarely brag about their support for gun-control measures in statewide elections in pro-gun Virginia. McAuliffe’s change in strategy suggested a play for his liberal base — but also hinted that he felt comfortable changing the playbook in the still-evolving swing state of Virginia.

Polls has shown some tightening in the race since McAuliffe's change in strategy.  Going from avoiding talk of anything other than background checks to supporting Colorado style gun control. my have backfired or it is possibly that a combination of energizing Second Amendment activists and the disastrous roll out of Obamacare has caused what was already soft support to go even softer.  In the end, turn out is going to be the deciding factor and if those who were not really enthusiastic about McAuliffe in the first place decide they can't stand the thought of having him for Governor after all, could make tomorrow a very tight race.