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Thursday, June 14, 2012

Is Legalizing Weed Obama's Secret Weapon?

In 2004 George W. Bush's re-election campaign worked to put anti-gay marriage ballot initiatives up for vote in several swing states in order to turn out more hard-core conservatives to the polls. This year the question is whether marijuana legalization measures will turn out young voters for Obama.

Bush's plan to use gay marriage bans -- in states that did not actually allow gay marriage -- as a turnout booster led to signs featuring icky public restroom symbols proliferated and liberal panic that the Christian right had taken over. The press obsessed over "values voters." One of Bush's aides, Ken Mehlman, who later came out as gay himself, has apologized for the strategy, two others say it didn't work.

This year there's another incumbent president with modest approval ratings who could turn out his base with controversial ballot measures. But this time, the issue features no biblical or scatological imagery. In 2012, voters in swing states will decide whether they'll allow their fellow citizens to bear joints. Unlike the gay marriage votes, there's no indication that Obama's re-election team is behind any of the pot legalization initiatives, but there are Democrats who are hoping that it will boost turnout among weed's biggest fans: young people.

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

What good would it do if nobody has money to buy it?

Anonymous said...

Thats the only way Obama will get reelected ,everybody would have to be high on weed to vote for such a failure

Anonymous said...

IT COULD BRING THIS COUNTRY MORE REVENUE THEN TOBACCO DOES NOW.

Anonymous said...

It would cost more then what you're paying now after the governments cut.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't matter. It would still be illegal according to most state laws. pffffft.

Anonymous said...

Except the Obama administration has cracked down harsher on medical marijuana dispensaries more than any other President in history. He said one thing, and did another, just like always.

Anonymous said...

That is what I was going to say 10:56. He will just say that he is going to do something and then after getting the votes and being re-elected he would have a "change of heart" much like he has already done with the medical marijuana.

Anonymous said...

6:39 Federal law overrules state law. Read a book. pfffft.