You’d Have To Be Stoned To Vote Democrat
Aug 25, 2014 Opinion, Political
Paul Bedard writes an article for the Washington Examiner where he indicates that if Democrats want to retain control of the Senate or limit losses the party should push marijuana legalization initiatives in November.
The reasoning is that if these initiatives are on the ballots the young (read pot smoking) Democrat voters will be compelled to vote and while they are voting for marijuana they will also vote for Democrats on the ballot.
This is probably true. The young want marijuana legalized and they would turn out to vote if it were on the ballot (assuming they were not too high to remember to vote) but can Democrats get these initiatives on the ballots by November?
And more importantly wouldn’t they, as Bedard points out, be more likely to hold off until 2016 to help keep a Democrat in the White House and pick up Democrat seats in Congress?
I am not a marijuana user, never have been and do not intend to start now. I think it could be legal and taxed and that it is probably no more dangerous than alcohol (and no, please do not tell me it is safer because it is not) but we need a lot of things in place. How do you determine driving under the influence of marijuana (other than people driving at 4 miles an hour)? THC (the active component in marijuana) is fat soluble and stays in the body long after the intoxicating effects have subsided. This is particularly true for habitual users.
How will law enforcement be able to determine if one is high or not when THC levels are present? This is important. States that have legalized marijuana have undoubtedly had an increase in use of the drug and that means more people are driving under the influence. They are a danger to others.
But I digress. The issue is should Democrats put marijuana on the ballot to increase Democrat voter turnout (especially among the young)?
Enticing voters with pot kind of signals desperation and would only bolster the impression that politicians will do anything to keep power.
Democrats would love to offer pot as an incentive. They like their voters to be zombies who follow along without question.
And they also know one has to be stoned to vote for a Democrat.
Cave canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
