My original title for this post was Why Is Marijuana A Leftist Issue?. But I decided to change it. You will see why when you get to the end.
Eric did a post yesterday Why does the left want guns and gays to be mutually exclusive? Which got me thinking about a link I came across recently Could Marijuana Initiatives Swing the Youth Vote in Future Elections? It already has.
A new wave of high-profile ballot measures – along with the demographic groups they resonate with most – seem to crop up every few election cycles. Conservatives long relied on heavy turnout from evangelicals when abortion, same-sex marriage and similar hot-button issues appeared on ballots.
But now, in states introducing marijuana legalization measures, another powerful voting bloc has emerged: young people.
If last month’s results are any indication, younger voters could play a key role in deciding future elections in states with marijuana ballot initiatives. Exit polls suggest voters ages 18 to 29 accounted for a noticeably greater share of voters than four years ago in Colorado, Oregon and Washington – all of which voted on marijuana measures. By contrast, this age group made up roughly the same percentage of the electorate nationally this year as it did in 2008.
Once a fringe issue, marijuana is now legal in 18 states in some form and polls indicate a steady climb in support, making it difficult for politicians to ignore. Accordingly, Democratic candidates – whose voters polls show overwhelming favor legalization – may soon begin to use future ballot initiatives to their advantage.
The Republican Party is terminally stupid. They have high hopes for gaining ground in the Senate and the House in 2014. I don’t think they can do it. Why? Because their core is unable to come to grips with the end of prohibition.
“This is just the beginning,” said Jill Hanauer, president of the Democratic-leaning political research firm Project New America. “Marijuana is going to be the gay marriage of the next five years.”
and
It’s not so much the thought of lighting up that appeals to these younger voters, Hanauer said. Instead, they view it through the same lens as same-sex marriage – as a justice and fairness issue.
It is pretty disgusting when the core of the Republican Party acts like Jim Crow Democrats on this issue. Prohibition now, prohibition tomorrow, prohibition forever.
Comments
7 responses to “Prohibition now, prohibition tomorrow, prohibition forever”
Acting like Jim Crow Democrats or abolitionists?
Is legalizing pot really the single most important topic on earth at the moment? The IRS is persecuting citizens for their views, Muslims hacking off heads in London. Monomania, it’s not just for breakfast anymore.
Scott M,
Well it depends. Are the 1/2 million in jail for marijuana offenses important?
Are Federal raids on medical marijuana – a crime against humanity – important?
Is supporting criminal cartels – estimated at between 5% and 10% of the world economy – important?
Are the growth of SWAT raids on non-violent offenders – fostered by the drug war – important?
Is the fact that race affects the level of prohibition enforcement on a community important? http://youtu.be/HmgeCeGk–I
Is the fact that the Drug War has been an excuse to shred the Bill of Rights (esp. the 4th and 5th Amendments) important?
Is the fact that Prohibition supports more than a few jihadis important?
It the fact that something on the order of 80+% of adult Americans say that the drug war is not working important? How about the fact that the Federales are are not listening?
All the issues you mention are important. And I cover them too. In fact – if you review what I have just said you will see that I just covered one of them.
How are Prohibitionists like abolitionists? Do they favor more liberty or less?
Is the fact that the Democrats plan to use this issue to wallop Republicans (ala 1932) important?
Evidently the Democrats think this is an important issue because they can use it effectively against Republicans.
[…] GOP = Prohibition now, prohibition tomorrow, prohibition forever! […]
… so the prohibitionists want to offer people the right to something they themselves put great force in banning? I really don’t see democrats as being the ones who will offer the most freedom, ever.
[…] Which fits right in with Eric’s “Unbelievable Courage” triggers unbelievably pointless and futile argument. Not to mention that some of us (and Eric is Definitely included) are working on the incarceration problem. […]