There’s nothing quite like a good candid camera moment to spice up an otherwise boring congressional campaign. One of these tidbits popped up in New York’s 21st Congressional District this week where Democrat Tedra Cobb is attempting to challenge Republican representative Elise Stefanik. As we’ve discussed here in the past, Stefanik is the youngest woman ever elected to the United States Congress and remains quite popular in her district.

Cobb was talking to a group of young, liberal enthusiasts at a campaign event recently when one of them pushed her on the subject of a ban on “assault weapons” and asked whether she would support such legislation. Cobb was unusually candid in describing the conversation but was unfortunately caught on video being just a bit too honest. (Free Beacon)

Tedra Cobb, the Democratic candidate in New York’s 21st Congressional District, told a group of teenage supporters that she supports a ban on certain firearms but won’t say so publicly for fear of losing her election.

“When I was at this thing today, it was the first table I was at, a woman said, ‘How do you feel about assault rifles?’ And I said they should be banned,” Cobb can be heard saying in the video recorded by one of the attendees. “And I said, you know, people were getting up to go, to go get their lunch because it was a buffet, and I just said to her, I want you to know Cindy, I cannot say that.”

When the woman pushed back on Cobb keeping quiet on how she feels about banning certain firearms, Cobb said coming out in favor of a gun ban would lead to her losing her bid against Republican incumbent Elise Stefanik.

“And she said, ‘Well, I want you to’ and I said, ‘I won’t win,'” Cobb said. “I said Moms Demand [Action] says, and Tricia Pleau said, ‘Do not say that you want an assault rifle ban because you will not win.'”

Here’s the video goodness. The applicable conversation starts around the 1:45 mark.

The rest of the conversation between these teenagers and the candidate is almost equally fascinating. They know what they’re talking about is dangerous stuff. One of them goes on to say, “This is a close group here. Nobody share this.” They speak of the need to avoid saying “gun control” and other key phrases which will turn off the public. After that, they go on to play a video about “moderate Democrats” and laugh hysterically at a caricature of Democrats who are insufficiently to the left.

Keep in mind that this is the 21st district, otherwise known as “the North country.” It’s far from New York City. It’s a very different environment with a distinctly conservative flavor to it. So on the one hand, Cobb is probably 100% correct. If she came out and told the voters what she actually thought she may has well drop out of the race right now. The bad news for her is that the release of this video (which is quickly making the rounds) has made it completely clear that she’s lying to the voters, but will be able to go to Congress and vote for gun bans if she can somehow sneak under the radar and get elected.

If you’re bored, listen to the rest of the conversation that Cobb engages in with these volunteers. They go on to discuss the number of things you “can’t say” in public and Cobb asks them if they would be interested in setting up a “closed” (as in private) Facebook page where they can discuss such matters without the public finding out. This is a crew of people who clearly know that they need to trick the voters of the district into electing her because the candidate’s real leanings would never fly.