Democratic strategists are studying a California marijuana-legalization initiative to see if similar ballot measures could energize young, liberal voters in swing states for the 2012 presidential election.More at the link.
Some pollsters and party officials say Democratic candidates in California are benefiting from a surge in enthusiasm among young voters eager to back Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana in certain quantities and permit local governments to regulate and tax it.
Party strategists and marijuana-legalization advocates are discussing whether to push for similar ballot questions in 2012 in Colorado and Nevada—both expected to be crucial to President Barack Obama's re-election—and Washington state, which will have races for governor and seats in both houses of Congress.
Already, a coalition of Democratic-leaning groups has conducted a poll in Colorado and Washington to test the power of marijuana measures to drive voter turnout.
Ballot measures typically don't increase turnout on a mass scale. Still, strategists in both parties argue certain ballot measures can help activate targeted groups of voters and campaign volunteers in numbers that can be significant in close elections.
Also, at Weasel Zippers, "Dems Considering Making Weed Legal a Campaign Issue to Energize Young, Liberal Voters…"
Photo Credit: Midnight Blue.
Ahhh, Man. Prof. Douglas, your harshing my mellow! ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a good strategy Professor Douglas. Pander to dope fiends to get their votes. Pandering to paranoid gun lovers keeps their votes in the GOP's fold. Pandering to religious zealots does also.
ReplyDeleteAnd if pot was legal, should by chance we ever get together we would be far more tolerable of each others company if we were legally stoned. Even illegally. As Bob Dylan says, "Everybody must get stoned."
You are The Man.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonreb.com/2010/10/06/dynamite-donald-douglas-is-da-man/
I don't think it'll happen. Maryjane isn't ever going to be legalized because how in the world can government tax a plant one can grow in one's windowsill? Right now, there's people in California growing the stuff and selling it to people who have these legal 'marijuana cards' at a fraction of the 'taxed' cost the rubes pay at the pot gateways. Right under their noses, untaxed marijuana is getting past the tax man.
ReplyDeleteNext on the list of strong anti-pot forces are the alcohol-boozer lobbyists. They can't stand the competition; they will give legislators whatever it takes to keep the stuff illegal.
And, all we need are Democrats more dumb than they are already; hooked on smoking dope, they never will want to get jobs and work, and if they did, they would screw up so badly that whatever company employed 'em would suffer from the decrease in productivity.
Truly, the upturned, outstreached blue palm should be the new symbol of the Democrat Party.