GOP candidate for governor faces backlash for aiming gun at teen in ad

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican candidate for governor, took things too far with a local TV advertisement meant to showcase his support for gun ownership.

The spot, which came out last week and aired on Atlanta’s NBC 11Alive, depicted Kemp pointing a shotgun at “Jake,” a teenage boy interested in dating one of his daughters.

Jake is made to rattle off Kemp’s platform for governor, and then to promise to show “respect” and “a healthy appreciation for the Second Amendment,” after which Kemp says, “We’re gonna get along just fine.” The ad ends by panning across framed pictures of teenage girls implied to be Kemp’s daughters.

Unfortunately for Kemp, the ad has provoked widespread outrage.

“In an ad showcasing his qualifications to serve as Georgia’s Governor, Brian Kemp threatens to shoot a teenage boy if he tries to have sex with his daughters,”  Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts wrote on Twitter. “This recurring and uniquely American “joke” is tiresome.”

“What the heck is wrong with you @BrianKempGA?” tweeted veteran advocate group VoteVets. “As veterans, many of us have had to fire a weapon at another person. It is no joke. Nor is the idea of shooting High School kids, especially now. Yet, you joke about both. Take this garbage off the air.”

Meanwhile, as the Hill reports, angry viewers have flooded 11Alive with complaints. “Holy cow, are we in the Wild West and propagating a gun culture?” said one person.

“I am a conservative who believes in the 2nd amendment but this commercial makes me want to vote for the other side,” said another.

On Monday, faced with backlash, 11Alive stated that the ad could not be altered due to FCC regulations.

Seven Republicans have filed to run in Georgia to replace retiring Gov. Nathan Deal. And Kemp is not the only candidate running on an extreme anti-gun-control stance.

One other candidate is Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who recently blocked a tax break for Delta Air Lines because they stopped offering discounts to NRA members. Another is former State Sen. Hunter Hill, who released an ad of himself toting various guns, promising to loosen age limits and permit requirements.

Any politician willing to point a gun at a teenager, even as a joke, deserves a high level of scrutiny.