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    Cam/ronHudson Hongo
    3/16/15 8:08pm

    Coming to next year's RNC:

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      ArsenalMetroCam/ron
      3/16/15 8:15pm

      All jokes aside, I'm shocked the Republicans haven't taken a pro-legalization stance. It plays to the Libertarians in their constituency, and would do a hell of a job at bringing in young voters. Plus, legalization could be spun as supporting the development of small businesses and agriculture. Besides the fact that they're a bunch of stodgy old white guys, legalizing weed seems like a perfect fit for the Republicans.

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      ARP2ArsenalMetro
      3/16/15 8:22pm

      Because their base is a bunch of old angry white people who are all about law and order, especially against brown people. Those people vote reliably and vote Republican. I'm sure they've done the math and realized that it wouldn't work.

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    TRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)Hudson Hongo
    3/16/15 8:07pm

    He's right, in that legalizing weed won't save the world, but that is beside the point.

    He is deliberately refusing to enumerate the positives that accompany legalization (reduced strain on our justice and prison systems, increased tax revenue, reduced organized crime.) He's not looking to give Republicans any more ammunition to paint him as the enemy of God-fearing White America.

    He did this same kind of song-and-dance on gay marriage, and if the tide of opinion moves as overwhelmingly on legalization as it did on that, he'll show his true colors. In the meantime, this is not the hill he wants to die on, and he, reasonably, doesn't want his supporters to try to make it so.

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      sui_generisTRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)
      3/16/15 8:24pm

      Yup. Why is this reasoning too subtle and "nuanced" for like, 90% of the country, though...?

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      TRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)sui_generis
      3/16/15 8:30pm

      Because 50% is either stupid, or disinterested and apolitical. I call them the "I don't know or I don't care" constituency. Another 10% is deeply invested in Obama being the transcendental president he sold himself as in 2008, and are eternally disappointed in his limitations and concessions to reality. Another 20% hates him, either because he's black, or because he's not conservative (often both!) That leaves 20% of the country to give him a fair shake, and they're evenly divided on the question.

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    sui_generisHudson Hongo
    3/16/15 8:21pm

    However, the President did offer some of his clearest comments on the topic, saying that current policy "doesn't make sense" while stopping short of advocating legalization...

    ...Ultimately, as his administration has done in the past, the President suggested that rescheduling marijuana was a task best left to Congress and not the attorney general.

    Do people seriously still not fucking understand that the first black President of the United States of America cannot and will not touch drug legalization with a ten foot fucking pole?

    It must be nice to live in a utopia with no political, historical, or cultural consequences.

    I just can't with this shit.

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      TRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)sui_generis
      3/16/15 8:58pm

      Obama: "This is a nonsensical policy."

      Republicans: *drawing daggers* "And what do you suggest instead?"

      Obama: "Uh... don't look at me. No, seriously, don't look at me, I'm not talking about this. In fact, I'm just going to be over here golfing. You can make fun of me and everything, I promise. Just don't mention the drug thing."

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      sui_generisTRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)
      3/16/15 9:12pm

      Yeah, I think he's put his toe right up to the line, without backing off any, but without giving anyone the satisfaction of making this "his" issue, and that's politically savvy. You don't start fights you can't win, particularly if you don't want to own them, and especially if it would only hurt both yourself the larger battle you support, if you did so.

      I'm glad he has his priorities in order and knows his limits. He already signed the fair sentencing act, he's acknowledged the issue and he supports it — he literally is just saying it's not his priority right now. And he's right.

      (As for the golf thing — I don't get it. Do people really think he's playing golf more than any other President, or that it's really "just" golf...?)

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    LordBurleighHudson Hongo
    3/16/15 8:08pm

    Out of curiosity, does anybody know if it actually IS "young people" making the difference in the states that legalized marijuana recently? I know the poll data says support for legalization is stronger with younger people (no surprise), but given that, traditionally, many more older people than younger people vote in general, I'd be interested to know to what degree that general preference explains recent legislation. Put another way: in Colorado and Washington, was there a spike in younger voter turnout because of this ballot measure? Or were the general dynamics the same, which would suggest it's actually growing support among older voters that's responsible for the new laws?

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      tits-n-gigglesLordBurleigh
      3/16/15 8:17pm

      I don't know about the age breakdown of voter turnout- but Washington (and Oregon and, I believe, Colorado) do voting by mail, which makes it pretty difficult not to vote. Pick your poison and drop it in the mailbox.

      I did some googling and looks like WA had >80% turnout statewide for the 2012 election, but I don't know what the age breakdown is.

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      TRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)LordBurleigh
      3/16/15 8:25pm

      I second these useful questions.

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    tarkovskyfanHudson Hongo
    3/16/15 8:04pm

    This is the single best way to get the GOP to support the legalization of Weed.

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      phunkshuntarkovskyfan
      3/16/15 8:09pm

      Obama, Master of 12 dimensional chess.

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      Deadly the Eternaltarkovskyfan
      3/16/15 9:08pm

      Obama: "We should not make all Republicans dress up as clowns."

      Republicans: "We should make all Republicans dress up as clowns."

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    PeabodyHereHudson Hongo
    3/17/15 11:42am

    Obama is showing himself to be a disingenuous caretaker in office. He should know very well that legalization has a strong bearing on every one of those issues he claims to be more important.

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      violetmoonPeabodyHere
      3/17/15 12:14pm

      Care to explain how it affects climate change?

      I don't see jobs being impacted in a large or meaningful way. Definitely can't see war and peace effected, unless our troops get too stoned to shoot straight, but hopefully it would lead to less prison population by racial profiling among other things.

      Though, I can see state revenues going up for being able to heavily tax it.

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      PeabodyHerevioletmoon
      3/17/15 12:36pm

      It would serve both as a source of fuel and an replacement for wood-based products, cutting back on the use of petroleum in all aspects, and vastly reducing the deforestation throughout the world. The slightest research into detailed articles written by advocates would have answered this.
      It offers more jobs through creation of a new, substantial, low-tech and low-cost processing industry. War is currently the state of affairs south of the border, which is a huge danger for everyone.
      Obama knows all these things, yet continues to cater to the wealthy who put him in the office, a hostage to the Praetorian guard of the DC security state.

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    Gruff McGruffHudson Hongo
    3/16/15 8:06pm

    Shame on the president for using the whole "do you support legal meth?" false equivalency.

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      LordBurleighGruff McGruff
      3/17/15 1:33am

      Especially given that meth IS legal under certain specific circumstances. Disappointing use of the slippery slope fallacy.

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    InternetDoctorMDHudson Hongo
    3/16/15 8:04pm

    Kids can't fix climate change, that horse is out of the barn and near the county line. We're pretty much fucked on that and I for one laugh at the thought of what you future grandparents who are just having kids of your own are going to feed your grandchildren.

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      TaternutsAnonInternetDoctorMD
      3/17/15 8:43am

      So you laugh at the folks who inherited the mess? Guess that makes you an asshole.

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    toothpetardHudson Hongo
    3/16/15 8:02pm

    Mr. president, end this war.

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      craigthejollyfatmantoothpetard
      3/17/15 10:54am

      Mr. President TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!

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    HumboldtGenesisHudson Hongo
    3/16/15 8:09pm

    For our first black President to say that the War on Drugs™ is not a top priority is so fucking reprehensible and tone-deaf. Yeah, he's the President of all Americans™, except those he most closely resemble.

    And, yeah, I'm black. And no, my views don't resemble those of all black people (we're not a monolith, blah blah blah), but this President leaves a real sour taste in my mouth when he speaks on issues that can substantially change the course of black lives in America, and I'm sick of it.

    /controlled rant

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      Tom Moore IIIHumboldtGenesis
      3/17/15 1:35pm

      Maybe the first Black President doesn't want to be the one legalizing weed. Just a thought.

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