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Wednesday, October 06, 2010

As Tokes California, So Tokes the Nation

Political Wire from a WSJ piece:
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… Democratic strategists liken the marijuana effort to the 2004 ballot drives to ban gay marriage in Ohio and 10 other states. Whether those measures helped then-President George W. Bush win that year remains a point of debate, as turnout was high even in states without the issue on the ballot. But many conservatives say the measure drove thousands to the polls in Ohio, the election's central battleground, where Mr. Bush won by just two percentage points, or about 118,000 votes. Now, some Democratic strategists say marijuana legalization could do the same for their party.

Not to mention, you know, on the merits, that every single baby step we take as a nation toward ending the racist war on (some) drugs and removing more nonviolent offenders from the misery-profiteers of the prison-industrial complex is a step toward sanity and social justice. Note that Republicans are energized by opportunities to treat fellow human beings as second class citizens and Democrats are energized by efforts to expand civil liberties -- act surprised.

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