Ron Paul announced recently that he is giving away a gun because "there can be no liberty without the ability to defend it." As part of its "Defend Liberty Gun Giveaway," one lucky donor to the former Texas congressman's organization, Campaign for Liberty, will receive a DDM4 AR-15. But Paul isn't alone. More than a dozen candidates for national and local office have offered up free firearms to their supporters during the 2014 election cycle, with gifts ranging from pistols to shotguns to an AR-15 customized by the gubernatorial candidate himself. It's the year's hottest conservative campaign gimmick.

While candidates may be exploiting right-wing fears of an impending Obama firearm confiscation, the phenomenon isn't new. The tactic traces back to at least 1994—not coincidentally the last time fears of a gun-grabbing Democratic president reached a fever pitch. Surprise: All the gun-giving candidates are Republicans. Historically, these gun giveaways haven't been terribly successful. With the exception of three incumbent politicians, none of the candidates who have tried to entice voters with firearms have ever gone on to win their races.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/04/ron-paul-paul-broun-gun-giveaway