Bob Poe's first TV commercial in CD 10 race takes on assault weapons

Democrat Bob Poe is releasing his first television commercial in the Orlando-based Florida’s 10th Congressional District with a declaration of outrage over assault rifles and a promise to seek to ban them and to require universal background checks for gun purchases.

Poe, an Orlando businessman and former chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, is pushing the anti-assault weapon message as Orlando still reels from the June 12 massacre at the popular gay nightclub Pulse. However, the new TV commercial, “Spray,” does not make any references to Pulse.

Since the massacre, Poe and the other three Democrats in the CD 10 race, former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings, state Sen. Geraldine Thompson and Fatima Rita Fahmy all have taken strong positions against assault weapons and for background checks. Poe is the first to do so in a broad, public way, on the airwaves.

The winner of the Aug. 30 Democratic primary will face Republican nominee Thuy Lowe, who opposes such gun control measures, in the November election.

The 30-second spot entitled “Spray” began airing today on Orlando-area broadcast stations and cable networks, as part of Poe’s $1 million TV ad buy.

“I’m focused on gun violence because lives are at stake every day in this district, from Pine Hills to Parramore,” said Bob Poe. “Meanwhile, Congress refuses to take action on the simplest common-sense gun measures, like universal background checks supported by 9 in 10 Americans. It’s wrong, and it’s time to fix it.”

The commercial begins with a shot of an AR-15 assault rifle. “In the 30 seconds it takes to play this ad, it could spray a room with 300 bullets,” Poe declares. “Right now, someone can buy this assault weapon at a gun show with no background check. That’s gotta stop.”

While various audio recordings in the Pulse nightclub indicated that the killer Omar Mateen was able to fire three or four rounds per second during some blasts that lasted several seconds, opponents of control laws like those Poe is proposing, dealing with semi-automatic weapons, have argued that only fully automatic weapons — already banned in the United States — could provide the kind of firepower he describes in his commercial, especially considering that firing 300 rounds would require the shooter to change ammunition magazines several times. Last month when U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando, a Poe friend and ally, claimed commercially available assault weapons could reach 700 rounds per minute, the PolitiFact fact-checking medium rated the claim “mostly false.”

Poe, however, is pushing the point in the Democratic primary that he will be the strong gun-control advocate, promising to seek universal background checks, to get illegal guns off the street, and to ban assault weapons.

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10 comments

Drew
July 21, 2016 at 11:02 am

Why are you lying about the AR-15 rate of fire? Presenting false information just makes you look stupid. Banning semi automatic rifles, which make up a fraction of gun related crimes will have no impact on gun related crime. Most people want some reform to the existing gun laws, but making stuff up like this causes people to lose trust. Please come up with sensible arguments and meaningful solutions instead of this hysterical nonsense. It gets us nowhere.
Ed McReynolds
July 21, 2016 at 11:10 am

Hi Bob my name is Ed McReynolds I live in Marion County Florida you’re just like a normal Democrat you got your head up your ass and you tell lies like Hilary if you was any kind of a person tell the truth like I am right now you lie like a cheap rug if you wood not lie you may have a chance but you being a Democrat makes it all worse if you want to try to win just be A honest person you know good and well AR 15 in 30 seconds you’re lucky to get 60 rounds through it if you don’t want to be criticized try telling the truth try it you might like it don’t be like Hillary Clinton good luck on your election God bless
James Gregory
July 21, 2016 at 11:35 am

He is a typical, lying Democrat, using fear and hysteria to get elected and push a liberal, anti freedom agenda.
An AR15 is semi-automatic, meaning one shot per squeeze of the trigger. The gun pictured has a 30 round magazine. For Poe’s propaganda to be true, a person would have to be carrying 10 magazines, and squeeze the trigger 300 times and change the magazine 10 times in 30 seconds. That is impossible!! Poe is a liar.
There is NO “gun show loophole” as the Democrats like to say. That is fiction! The same laws that apply at gun shops also apply at gun shows. Again, Poe is a liar.
We have enough lying politicians in office, let’s not elect another one.
Greg Burnside
July 21, 2016 at 1:38 pm

There is a ban on AUTOMATIC ASSAULT riffles in the United States of America… as pictured above this is an assault riffle… as in what you can buy in sports stores THEY ARE NOT ASSAULT RIFFLES… learn what you are talking about before you talk about it.
Bill
July 21, 2016 at 6:32 pm

It is very difficult to obtain a license to buy a fully automatic weapon and expensive also I have never seen one at a gun show I’m in favor of background checks to make a real difference we need to find a way to keep guns from the mentally ill making outlandish and false add destroys your credibility
Todd Perry
July 23, 2016 at 11:19 pm

This guy has NO idea what he is talking about. For one assault weapons are fully automatic not semi auto like an ar15. If you go by the looks of a weapon and stupidly call them assault weapons then we msu also ban EVERY toy gun that looks like it as well since they to are assault weapons under your reasoning.
Thinking like this is what is NOT going to get you elected here in our state of Florida.
- Todd Perry
  July 24, 2016 at 11:01 am
  
  Also with the weapon being semi auto and not fully auto it is IMPOSSIBLE to shoot that many rounds in 30 seconds.
Jbo
July 24, 2016 at 3:04 pm

How can they let those lies be put over the air, I have a carry permit, to get it i had to go through extensive background check, PLUS every time I want to purchase a weapon I go through another one. and if you don’t have a permit, you have to wait for three days till get a background check done on you. So to say you can buy a weapon at a gun show or anywhere without a background check is a flat out LIE!
C
July 25, 2016 at 7:19 pm

The info is an outright lie. The magazine only holds 30 rounds and takes approximately 5 seconds for a professional spec ops soldier to change.do the math liar liar pants on fire. Shame on you political liar.
Daryle Greene
July 25, 2016 at 11:33 pm

First off, that is an Ar-15 pistol. It is perfectly legal in the state of Florida. The pistol in your ad is a semi-auto firearm and not a fully automatic firearm. If that was the case it would be an M-16. Which is also legal to own with a federal tax stamp after passing a federal background check. As a candidate you need to educate yourself and stop lying to people. I am a law enforcement officer in Florida and a Veteran and you distrustful politicians disgust me.