Bringing Out the Marijuana Vote
Could marijuana ballot initiatives be the key to Democratic electoral victories? Joshua Green at The Atlantic seems to think so.
Acting on a tip from an Obama official, I found a few Democratic consultants who have become convinced that ballot initiatives legalizing marijuana, like the one Californians will vote on in November, actually help Democrats in the same way that gay marriage bans were supposed to have helped Republicans.
Scott Morgan at StoptheDrugWar sums it up nicely:
When political pundits begin speculating about our ability to bring out voters, that sends a message to politicians in a language they understand. For decades, the Democratic Party has remained shamefully silent on marijuana policy — despite overwhelming support for reform within its base – all because party leaders persist in clinging foolishly to the 1980′s mentality that any departure from the “tough on drugs” doctrine is political suicide. What now?
Tagged with: ballot initiatives and Democratic Party and Democrats and Joshua Green and Scott Morgan and StoptheDrugWar and The Atlantic by the author
39 comments
DRUG WAR? EVERYONE LOSES…
Seems the only ‘crime’ here, is being human.
So, why do we allow some ‘humans’ to victimize other ‘humans’?
I believe the ‘Drug War’ to be the biggest case of ‘State-Sponsored Terrorism’ perpetrated on this hemisphere, EVER.
The state actually PAYS one group to TERRORIZE another!
American Storm Troopers Murder Family Dog during "Suspected Pot Possession" Raid
ABSOLUTE, STATE-SPONSORED, PREJUDICED, ENDORSED BY RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISTS, TERRORISM !
I have seriously tried to understand the differences between users and drug enforcement officials. They have much in common.
Drug users will rationalize and justify their bizarre behavior, so will drug enforcement.
Drug users will repeat their actions (using) expecting different results, so will drug enforcement (arresting users).
Drug users live in a state of denial, refusing to admit their shortcomings. So do drug enforcement officials.
When drug users are sent to treatment they are expected to learn lessons about living life successfully. One of these lessons is: When you are wrong, promptly admit it and make amends to those who have been wronged.
It is past time for drug enforcement to stop rationalizing and justifying their failed enforcement policies. These policies have failed and have done more harm than good. It is time drug enforcement admitted they have been wrong and made amends to the American people.
It is past time for “Prohibition” to end regarding marijuana. It did not work for alcohol and is not working now. Marijuana is no more addictive than coffee.
Continuing to repeat their actions, expecting different results, is evidence that drug enforcement needs an intervention. Their policies have been honed to deliver money to those involved, that is the primary motivation. These actions are not helping people.
The medical community and “Anonymous” programs are doing the real work of helping those who are addicted.
Pretending that a well-financed but failing drug policy is still the best way (after 40 yr of failure) is definitely repeating the same action and expecting different results. Rationalizing and justifying the continuation of this policy, while denying failure, is not sane. Admitting that the failed policies are wrong and making amends with the American people IS the sane thing to do. Failing (or just simply refusing) to recognize the truth of this reasoning is “living in denial”.
Please give us a drug policy that makes real sense so we can talk to our children honestly. Even children can see right through the lies and propoganda. Drug enforcement’s addiction to the money has become so self-evident that the illusion of credibility is gone.
Let us have a drug policy that addresses the medical problem and admits the wrongs perpetrated against the American people for profit.
Children learn what they live. Those who get no respect, give no respect. America’s children have lost all respect for the drug enforcement community and all the “Force” in the world will not restore it.
Sometimes, the only way to victory is through surrender. This is a Christian principle that I hope you will seriously consider with an open mind.
Another is: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But for the grace of God, YOU could be in the user’s shoes. Please consider.
End terrorism in America. Support a kind and loving God with genuine morality, not profane profiteering.
Shame on American law enforcement and the government that supports them.
American Storm Troopers Murder Family Dog during “Suspected Pot Possession” Raid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbwSwvUaRqc&feature=player_embedded
@comment hardknocks: Each claim about the “tendencies” of drug users and each claim about the “tendencies” of enforcement officials is a normative guess.
it would bring out my vote that neither party has seen in years.
Havent you people learned.
Dem’s care about the “voting block” poor
Repub’s care about the “voting block” elite
Liberatarians care about civil liberties and states rights, poor, rich, or working class.
Who do you really think is going to stand up for our rights as free willing Americans?
It isnt the Dem’s or Repub’s, all they preach is money, money, money. All you hear from Liberatarians is Civil Rights, Civil Rights, Civil Rights.
Sucking up to the Dem’s is what got the last 2 hippacrits into the White House (Obama, Clinton)
Dont be fooled again.
Hey Republicans! There’s a way you can nullify this dastardly Democratic tactic…
Seriously, this is not a “progressive” issue. This is a leave-me-the-fuck-alone issue.
Great….so now we will have Dems promising legalization but not remotely intend on doing so….KINDA SOUNDS LIKE THE WAY OBAMA GOT INTO OFFICE BY PROMISING A MINIMUM OF DECRIMINALIZING BUT THEN GOT ELECTED AND WENT BACK TO THE NIXON THEORY THAT PUSHING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO THE DEA AND FBI’S FUNDS FOR THE DRUG WAR IS THE BEST THING FOR AMERICA. These people will not listen to the vote of the people.
Seriously, seriously, I have found a way to get the vote of the people into Presidency again. I think that we should build a President. A robot. In a sense. I think that the office of the President should be a computer on a desk. The issues, legislation, EVERYTHING will be put on a vote of the American people. Most every person in this country now has electronic devices. Use people’s SSN for their ID. One SSN. One vote. Popular vote is the vote of the President. If a real human could be trusted enough to not lie and promise to vote the way of the popular vote, then we could still continue to have an American citizen. Honestly, I dont know if there is a person in this world that would not be able to be trusted. Look at the trouble we are in now. Its not at its worst yet. We still have another hyperinflation process on foods and gas and another stock market crash to live through before something good happens for the American people.
Quite simply if politicians would stop “Getting Tough on Drugs!” and start “Getting Realistic on Drugs!” instead, then some actual progress may happen in decreasing abuse (especially among minors)
Which is great for states that have ballot initiatives. The rest are dependent upon some weaselly state legislator needing to draft something. Most of them ave got no freakin’ balls or are too damn lazy or stupid to educate themselves and the church ladies, soccer moms and other life forms of Boobus Americanus. Change requires work like doing the paperwork and educating the public about the benefits. dickwads
Political suicide is supporting prohibition. Doing nothing to change the unjust laws regarding cannabis is supporting prohibition. We the people can no longer afford to support politicians who do nothing to change the existing failed polcies. We wasted a trillion dollars and divided this country. We now equate “tough-on-crime” with “do-nothing-corrupt-politician”.
We now see through the smoke screen and realize that zero tolerence laws, forfiture/siezure laws, SWAT raids for serving warrants is nothing more than corruption at its worst. I want to see a politician that is tough on corruption.
Plant a seed, that’s all
I’m a Voter and i do vote but i’m starting to think it’s a waste of time. I stood for 3 hours to give my vote to OBAMA and he did nothing but LIE to me. I’m a Dem. but OBAMA has showed me i mean nothing.
Politicians can easily persuade people with their tricky speeches, but when it comes to cannabis issues, then it is a true litmus test of who they really are.
oooooo…and living in OKLAHOMA iS like living in CHINA
Holy Smokes. Fu$%& Bullsh@! in Pozo.
http://www.newtimesslo.com/cover/4655/what-happened-in-pozo/
This is a great venue. LE falling all over themselves to get the last horah!
Rev.sLeezy
The very first time I saw Barack Obama, was the televised 2004 Democrat Convention when he made a speech saying that the “War on Drugs” was a failure, and there was a very loud cheer after that statement. That statement got him the votes, and now he avoids the issue as if it is not important.
Obama doesnt avoid the issue. He flat-out disagreed with legalization and laughed like 20 million marijuana arrests is good, quality humor.
Well whatever it is, he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.
One day all the anti-marijuana federal politicians where on a boat going to a party when a storm came and blew the boat off course. when the rain stopped,the boat was wrecked on a small island with nothing except the best marijuana in the world ready for harvest. after a day they started getting hungry. one of them spoke up and said he had herd you can eat marijuana seeds. after a few more hours of being hungry they where all out picking seeds. what are we going to use to build a fire there is nothing on this island but marijuana, someone spoke up and said. two weeks latter they where rescued. The nest day in a landslide vote marijuana was legalized.
Hello, i know this will be a lil off the topic but i’m a voter, and i do vote and i also use Marijuana.
What i’m looking for is someone with some wits to help me get my story out. Please MPP or some here making there voice heard. I want to write a book or need someone to help me write a book.
Ok, here goes. I was born in Giansville Texas. My father was a heavy alholic. BUDWEISER was his choice. (WHITESBORO TEXAS)At the age of 6 months old my Mom came home from work and only to find that my father was trying to drown me in the bathtub. He said i would not stop crying, so he had the idea to drown me. He was drunk(BUDWEISER).He would beat my mom bloody aleast 5 days out of 7(BUDWEISER). You ask, why she not leave? She was too scared is my guess.He never worked and i do mean never. She would call the cops and the cops would just take him a few blocks away and let him loose. Within 30 mins he would return and beat her for calling the cops. When i was about 4 or 5 i was watching him mow the lawn and when he made his why close to me he pulled a knife out and tried to stab me, i fell backwards from the fence and run a mile in to town to the (WHITESBORO TEXAS POLICE DEPT). My mother would get everything ready at nite like blankets and stuff to eat to run and hide at nite after him drinking(BUDWEISER). (WHITESBORO TEXAS) After a day of my father drinking, my mother runs in me and my brother room and tells us to run. So we go out the window, we were fast and good at it because we done it so much but the bad part was it was winter and there was snow(IN TEXAS)that year. Was very cold that nite but i was ready to die the snow then in the hands of my father. I was in nothing but my underwear. Soon after we move to Carlera Oklahoma. Where my mom landed a job at the local store called (THE LUNCHBOX). My mom had to work because my father would not. One eveing he went to the store drunk and told her to give him a case of (BUDWEISER) in which she refused in order to keep her job. He beat the windows out of the store and she lost her job anyhow. We watch him beat my mother nite after nite. I use to lay in bed at nite and see nothing but blood and nothing but screams but as long as i could hear my mother cry and scream i knew she wasn’t dead. At nite after his day of drinking, we would find new places to hide. So that nite we got on the roof of the house to hide. Only to wake up with him drunk(BUDWEISER)and throwing rocks at us to get us down. Bad part was all the school kids were walking to school and watching it all. Got to a point were we wouldleave the house to find a place to sleep till he sobered up. Mom had a 4-door station wagon with wood panel and we would use it to sleep in. Mom drove to the HolidayInn parking(Durant Oklahoma hwy-75) lot so we could sleep that nite and only to wake up with him busting all the glass out of the car and beating her blooding right there in the parking lot. Needless to say 1 nite in (HENRYETTA TEXAS)HE PAST OUT. At this point after 8years of abusive beatings, we packed up and moved in the middle of the nite. She had a girl-friend back in Durant Oklahoma who was willing to help her. 6 months pass and my mother meets someone new. Bad part he like to drink as well(BUDWEISER). THESE WAS GOOD FOR ABOUT A MONTH. There was a knock at the door. mom answered the door and my father bum-rushed in with a sawed-off shotgun and he was going to use it, the gun jammed and would not fire so my father started beating my mother new boyfriend in the head. ooooo what a bloody mess. Somehow he lived. After awhile my moms new boy friend started beating her but like to beat her and strip her and made me sit there watch. All after drinking. Then we moved to Cobb Oklahoma and i went silo schools but then my father us again. My father took me and my brother to get something to eat but he was drinking and i knew he was there for a reason, He had a new silver z-28. With a chome matching gun in the console and fully loaded and i knew then for sure something bad was going down. we got back to the house and he went in , being buddy buddy to moms boyfriend knowing he like to drink. His goal was to get him drunk and either beat him or shoot him, while he was in side i went to the car and took all the bullets from the gun. And about an hour later he went to the car, i knew it was for the. i told my mom that i took the clip and the bullets from the guns. He came back in and sure enough he pulled the gun on my moms boyfriends. then the boyfriend pull a fire place poker, i was not sure what to. I did’t care if they killed each, i was just tried of them beating my mom. we ran from the house and to this day i really don’t know what happen but they both lived. well my was done with them both so we moved to Oklahoma City. She worked as a waitress at a resturant on 44th robn. Then she met a new man. i really thought he was a good guy but then i notice he was a drinker too.And about 1 later they got married. but then the bomb drop. My mom was going thur some papers and come he was a child sex offender and when my mom told him she knew he tried to start beating her but at this time i was 16 and was not going to stand for that crap no more. So torn in to him and needless to say i got 38 days in adult but i will admit i used a weight lifting bar to hit him with, my bad but i’d seen my mother beat enough. By this time i was a lost,messed up kid. I lived in the park on 36th and high (okc) he would drive by on his motorcycle and throw sandwichs out but i had to much pride to eat them. I had hard times do your everyday living. Done stupid stuff like slashed my wist. They sewed me up and i went on. i was taking pills for my problems(dr’s idea). Then i ran in too Marijuana. Was something i could use and still feel like i was standing on the ground. well 37 now 18 years 3 boys 15,16 and 17. and the best part is, for the whole time that i have been with my wife i have never hit or even close. I have worked more in 1 year then my father worked his whole life. seems like everyone in my family has died from boozed. Dad is now dead from alcohol, pills and lung cancer from cigarettes, Uncle die in drunk driving wreck in collinville texas along with his 15 son that was in the car. Grandma died in her sleep after a nite of drinking at the VFW (WHITEBORO TEXAS). I admit i smoke weed. but at the same time i’ve came a long way compared on how i was rasied and where i come from. The only thing Marijuana is to me is a gateway to happiness. Please just let me be. and this is only part of the story, not sure people could handle the rest. please don’t give me a hard time about my writing, if you have been thur what i have been thur, your lucky you can even write.
Jones@18
Another version of that joke is: Officer Gilligan has already destroyed the marijuana before the crew got to it.
Accept the voting results in November or wait for another day to legalize. Otherwise, if you wish to go directly to victory circle in legalization, pray for war.
this is to smiles I understand how it is to be abused as well but for some people out here that thinks of Marijuana as a drug but not medicine doesn’t understand or can’t understand for they weren’t abused. Also Marijuana is the best thing for chronic pain patients but as you know these so called politicians have no idea for how can they if they aren’t educated by the right people. The only nasty information on Marijuana is written by people that are making a buck off of it for if they were educated on this issue I wouldn’t be writing this message.
Ending marijuana prohibition, particularly for medical use, is a non-partisan issue. Surveys consistently show large, even majority, support for medical cannabis and, increasingly, outright legalization.
On the other hand, surveys frequently show sub-20% support for Congress and most state legislatures in general. It’s open season on incumbents – and this includes Republicans as well as Democrats. Throw in dramatic budget problems in many states that is leading to political and financial paralysis and most politicians are going to be sweating until the November election.
The smart thing for them to do is enact measures that are widely supported by the public NOW. I think it’s a good idea for the Dems in Cali to support legalization, but I think it more likely will be an aid to turnout across the board.
Frankly, if I were consulting with individual candidates, no matter what their party affiliation was, I’d tell them that voting to support the civil rights of millions of voters, cut wasteful, ineffective pork-laden (and you know what I mean) programs, and raise new revenue for other starving but vital state programs, while it will gain you support from voters in the general election across the board, you can’t do better than to ACT before November to do something that will dramatically change your chances of election against that stuck-in-the-mud they are running against.
Support those who support us and make those who oppose us pay. That’s what politicians understand.
Smiles you have a good conscious. Those who are the extremely heavy drinkers are those who would try to lose it.
I moved to California last November for two reasons. Cannabis and the weather. I’m disabled and the weather in NC caused more health problems than I cared for and returned to Cali where I had lived 12 years ago. Medical cannabis has helped not only with the pain I’m suffering, but has also allowed me to stop taking 3 pharmaceutical drugs.
I am registered to vote and Prop 19 will get a defite yes vote and how candidates stand on legalization of cannabis will determine who I vote for.
The only way I can do my part to stop stupidity is voting against the insane waste the war on some drugs has been.
@smiles Your story would make a good movie. sorry to hear about all that. im glad you made it out ok. I think we have all been around mean drunks at one time another. it’s just so stupid that marijuana makes you happy and nice and here we are today still talking about the legalization of it.
Make EVERY ELECTION a
1 issue election”.
If the candidate is not for full out legalization, taxation and regulation DO NOT VOTE FOR THEM!!! Under ANY circumstances.
CAN SOMEONE TELL ME SOMETHING PLEASE!
OBAMA AND ERIC HOLDER ANNOUNCED THAT MARIJUANA RULES WHERE UPHELD AT A STATE LEVEL AND THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT INTERFER ANYMORE ON STATE LAWS….THEN THE OBAMA ADMIN STARTS A LAWSUIT AGAINST ARIZONA SAYING THAT FEDERAL LAW TRUMPS STATE LAW. THIS IS GOING ON BECAUSE ARIZONA MADE NEW IMMAGRANT LAWS. WELL, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN CALI, OREGON, WASHINGTON STATE, AND COLORADO ALL LEGALIZE? WILL THEY PUT A LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM TOO? DRAIN SOME MORE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. ALL THESE OBAMA ADMINS NEED TO START LOOKING AT WHAT THEIR OWN PARTY IS DOING. CLINTON (BILL) IS NOW SAYING THAT OBAMA IS WRONG. BILL IS ALMOST JUST AS IMPORTANT TO DEMS AS OBAMA. ALL I GOTTA SAY IS THAT OBAMA BETTER WATCH OUT, NIXON WAS IMPEACHED BECAUSE HE STOOD UP FOR HIS CROOKED ASS CABINET. OBAMA HIMSELF IS JUST AS CROOKED AS ANY PERSON I MEET ON THE STREET CORNER. YOU LIED OBAMA.
I wonder how the majority of Tea Party people will vote on the California initiative to legalize marijuana. They will probably come out in droves to vote this election.
Unless the are libertarians they will vote no cuz its associated with dem dirty hippies and libruls.
Which great “Dem” should i vote for?
Chuck Schumer? He just proposed spending 11 million to build a fence around the canadian border to keep marijuana shipments out.
How about Dianne Feinstein? She supported a law in 1999 that would have banned discussing aspects of marijuana growing on the internet.
Maybe I should vote for Kristin Gillibrand? She did not support the Hinchey Rohrbacher amendment.
as i read these posts the only thing i can say is put the bong down long enough to clear your mind and make the right decisions-if you like the communist path our country has taken,please buy yourself a plane ticket and go to another country and stop screwing up the greatest country in the world.
I really think that the vote for legalization will pass. There are so many people who are unaccounted for when they take those polls. People will know they are behind closed door when they vote and they will vote on legalization. There are sooo many people, and actors, singers, and everyday corporate execs who are staying in the closet but will go vote at the polls.
Once it is legal, then what? Obama will be forced t get involved, The Feds will overturn the states decision is what I heard.
Btw, I don’t think this is a partisan or the tea parties are partisan either. Sarah Palin, Ron Paul and many other republicans are ok with it. I am hoping for Medicinal here in TX. Well, we will be the last state unless we have a governor who can stand up and say, you know, this crop will bring money to our state.
It’s going to take a Depression to legalize it throughout the US I think, just like alcohol prohibition did and the women led. Let history repeat itself. At least cannabis is medicine and alcohol makes you sick.
I just saw a poll showing that support for cannabis legalization in California is waning! Please California, show your progressive status once more and LEGALIZE IT!
Three questions to keep in the public discourse as the California ballot choice on marijuana gets closer:
1) Would I want my child to go to prison if he or she tried a little marijuana?
2) Am I ready for the “October Surprise” from the Drug War side? (There will no doubt be some last-minute scare tactics.)
3) How do I register to vote?
Citizens of California can go online and register to vote by completing an online form and mailing it to the address on the form. The form is available at
h t t p s : / / w w w .sos.ca.gov/nvrc/fedform/
(You’ll need to copy and paste the URL into your browser and then remove the blank spaces in the “h t t p s : / / w w w” part order to activate the URL.)
I don’t know why nobody here is covering this but the California Democratic Party’s executive board is going to debate whether or not to endorse Prop 19 sounds like something this website should focus on maybe..?
Medicinal 101 will be screening in New York Sunday July 25th @ 6pm – Screen 2
New York International Independent Film & Video Festival
Village East Theater
181 2nd Avenue @ 12th Street
http://www.nyfilmvideo.com
In 1996, the legalization of medical marijuana won by the citizens of California and the DEA has been at war with the clinics ever since. This is costing the tax payers of California millions of dollars each year. If it is legal, why are they raiding the medicinal clinics? Are they going to make the use of medicial marijuana illegal or can they come up with a solution to make this practice work.
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