The Libertarian/Marijuana Conspiracy to Swing the Election in Colorado

[octoberlib]

http://www.salon.com/2012/10/18/the_libertarianmarijuana_conspiracy_to_swing_the_election/ Here in the center of the Intermountain West, we have polls showing a nail-bitingly close race between the Democratic and Republican nominees for president. We have a chief election official, Secretary of State Scott Gessler, who has tried both to engage in mass voter purges and to block the mailing of ballots to eligible voters, all while openly saying a “good election” is one in which “Republicans win.” On the ballot, we also have a headline-grabbing ballot initiative about marijuana legalization and a popular former two-term governor of a neighboring state, Gary Johnson, running a Libertarian Party presidential candidacy.......SNIP.......

.....SNIP.....This message is not just word-of-mouth anymore; it has been elevated to the big leagues by a new voter outreach campaign. Indeed, a new automated telephone call focused on the pot measure and playing to liberal disappointment is right now hitting Democratic households in Colorado. Here’s what the message says (you can listen to the full audio below):

Hello fellow Democrat. Like you I was thrilled to vote for Barack Obama in 2008. In 2008, candidate Obama promised not to use the Justice Department to prosecute medical marijuana in states where it was legal. But the real Obama did just that, more than doubling prosecutions, putting people in prisons and shutting down medical marijuana facilities in Colorado. That’s not the change you wanted on health freedom. But you can still be a force for hope and change by voting for Gary Johnson.......SNIP........





........SNIP........

[Panasonic]

1. Meh.

I'd rather see the Paulites vote for Johnson than Rmoney and vote YES on 64.

Every Johnson vote here in Colorado translates to a Obama votes, because it takes away the vote from Rmoney.

My Paulite neighbor across the street just took down his R&R sign after last night's debate.

It wound up in the trash.

[octoberlib]

3. They're robo-calling registered Democrats though who probably wouldn't vote for Romney anyway .

I'm not a Colorado resident , so don't know how big of a deal this is.

[abumbyanyothername]

2. I know that this is at least borderline rules violation

but President Obama had it fully within his power to avoid this.

I still support Obama and encourage my son, who lives in CO to support Obama, but I am disappointed with his drug policy.

[octoberlib]

4. I am too. We need all the votes we can get in CO.

I will never understand candidates who have no hope in hell of winning, like Nader, pulling this crap. I guess it's making a statement.

[Panasonic]

5. Well, If Amendment 64 passes, then Obama has a major choice to make.

Several choices:

1) Allow Colorado (and perhaps Oregon and Washington) to be legal without any Fed interference, respecting the 10th Amendment, but enforce fed laws everywhere.

2) Remove cannabis from Schedule I drug schedule, declare it legal and watch the economy boost, creating millions of jobs in the U.S.

3) Or just fuck it all and start raiding marijuana grannies.

[patrice]

7. You know what people supporting this issue don't get? #1. Issue politics are about who you are

working with FIRST, then about what's up-ticket. And, around here, the people who are active on this issue made it abundantly clear that they would not work with Democrats. Period. They even destroyed what grassroots stuff they had going on in order to prevent that - and, And, AND ended up taking SEVERE advantage of some of the least empowered amongst us, who were just then blindly trying to find their way, in the process. FACTS.

#2. What President Obama is doing on this issue is like what he did with ending DADT, the financial crises, and other issues. HE'S AN ATTORNEY; he's focusing the legal issues in order to draw out the legal response from the opposition, and if the opposition understands what is going on, they'll push their best legal talent forward on this and then the two sides will engage in WHAT ATTORNEYS DO to push the issue to the next level in its legal development. Lather rinse repeat. THAT's how it is done, because PRESIDENTS ARE NOT KINGS.

[patrice]

8. BTW, for the reasons cited in my post #7, I believe this issue is a trojan horse. It was never

meant to be an issue for itself. It's a base-builder for Libertarians and Anarchists AT ALL COSTS, fuck whether they actually ever succeed or not.

If it were an issue in it's own right, it would not have ever mattered who they worked with to push it forward. Candidates would have been kept out of it. Candidates weren't kept out of it and that proves that candidates were the REAL issue NOT medical cannabis.

I'm disappointed.

Fuck 'em.

[Floyd_Gondolli]

6. Voters have option to vote yes on 64

While also having the choice to vote for Obama. That would seem to be key here, and sort of torpedoes the idea the triangulation they might be attempting would be effective.

Beyond that, how many would be willing to throw their vote away when the rubber meets the road on election day.