With Ron Paul exiting, now would be a good time for Obama to evolve on cannabis prohibition

[LetTimmySmoke]

Mitt Romney is already on video here:

This is a prime opening for the Obama campaign if the president were to evolve on the issue and draw a contrast with Romney.

[limpyhobbler]

1. +1

[polichick]

2. Disgraceful that big pharma wins on this one - even with the prez.

[Gman]

3. No it's not

We'd like to win this election. He's already gone out on plenty enough of a limb already.

[Jamaal510]

7. +1

Marijuana can wait.

[frylock]

9. explain why you think it's a losing issue..

when a plurality of people believe it should be legalized?

http://norml.org/news/2012/04/05/rasmussen-poll-plurality-of-americans-support-legalizing-and-taxing-cannabis

[Gman]

24. Jeebus... what do you think???

We're gonna WIN on that issue? Get real.

[frylock]

25. that poll i posted trumps your gut feeling..

and if typing jeebus is your idea of providing an explanation, then it's no wonder your so deeply confused over the issue.

[Gman]

26. LOL! Oh Yeah! That's a winner alright

Fortunately, Obama would sooner endorse Plutonium for breakfast. It's about as big a winner and both are radioactive. That's the real world. Not some poll from NORML. He's gone out enough on a limb, thanks.

[frylock]

28. it was a rasmussen poll..

you can't even get your facts in order and you want to lecture me about the "real world" ffs. gallup also cites a poll with 50% approval. there's your real fucking world.

[ZombieHorde]

31. What evidence do you have

for suggesting medical marijuana would not be a good issue for President Obama to embrace?

[Gman]

34. How about the fact that I can think and reason????

just to begin with

[ZombieHorde]

36. So, no evidence then?

There is some evidence that championing medical marijuana could benefit President Obama's campaign, as posted earlier.

[frylock]

38. there's zero evidence to support that claim..

in fact, your posts contradict your belief.

[sofa king]

39. Okay. It's a promise the President can't keep.

Congress controls the legalization of cannabis, the President only oversees enforcement of the policy.

So the President can run on it, but he can't do a thing about it unless a majority of Members of Congress in both the House and the Senate support it and tacit support from the opposition (ahem, Republican Senators) is achieved.

That is mathematically improbable in this election year, because there is almost no way that the Democrats can pick up enough seats to have a supermajority in the Senate.

If we run on it now, it's a guaranteed loser. Republicans will easily be able to block it and the promise can't be kept, and that's if the plank doesn't break the party in two and smack us in the back of the head.

But it's looking like an awfully attractive issue in the 2014 mid-term elections, when a supermajority in the Senate is within striking distance and a broad special-interest group like stoners can exert exceptional influence by turning out in otherwise low-interest elections.

If they can get their shit together and show Democrats that stoners will register and vote. That will require a network of lobbyists, marketers and campaign workers, so put down the bong and hop to it. Two and a half years is not long at all in politics.

[bigwillq]

15. It's ok. If the limb breaks, we can just blame it on the Gays.

[Gman]

23. Why would you want to do that?

[bigwillq]

32. I don't.

Seemed like you do though.

Sorry Obama went out on a "limb".
It was about damn time if you ask me.

I apologize if that's not what you meant in your post above. It just reads that way to me.

[Gman]

33. I don't know why anyone would want to blame gays

but he's way out there on a limb politically by taking this stance. Overall, it likely won't matter on election day in November. The politics can change in a flash.

[zbdent]

4. Somehow I don't believe that the "single-issue" supporters of Paul will

support Obama for his "single-issue" that they make such a fuss about ...

quite often, those "single-issue" voters use that "single issue" to hide all their other B.S. that they don't actually want to admit they support ...

[DCKit]

5. Teabaggers aren't racist. A teabagger told me so. nt

[Forward2012]

20. The Paul supporters that are single issue on this

are, overwhelmingly, young voters. So is it worth it to win over a small amount of young voters?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Unequivocally NO!

I can see a push for it to be legalized sometime in the future but there's no political benefit to President Obama to endorse the idea and, frankly, it would be more likely than not to backfire on him. It's also just not that pressing an issue to a lot of people at the moment.

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. Excellently stated.

[frylock]

10. Plurality Of Americans Support Legalizing And Taxing Cannabis

http://norml.org/news/2012/04/05/rasmussen-poll-plurality-of-americans-support-legalizing-and-taxing-cannabis

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. There's still not going to be many politicians

going on the record to actually advocate for it, least of all a major-party candidate for POTUS. Besides, what did his support of legalization do for Ron Paul?

[grantcart]

13. The OP is trying to point out that there are literally tens and tens of people who are still Romney

supporters, even after the Presidents latest statements on equality in marriage, and that he could pick them all of, all of them.

[TBF]

17. I don't think he should strongly push it -

but surely he could re-direct his justice department into focusing on actual crimes. There are banks they could look at for example ...

[musicblind]

12. I really think this would be a losing issue for him.

I mean if he wanted to take that position I would support him.

But I don't feel any urgent need to legalize pot.

It doesn't feel the same as civil rights.

[frylock]

14. you would certainly feel different typing that post from a computer in the prison library..

people rotting in prison for possession isn't a civil rights issue?

[jambo101]

16. Legalize pot

It would certainly be an easy way to gather billions in taxes..

[WI_DEM]

18. my guess is that he will 'evolve' on this in the second term, but not in this campaign

and it's probably not a good idea if he did at this time.

[Blue_Tires]

19. With Ron Paul exiting, now would be a good time to quit propping up the fantasy

that he ever gave a shit about cannabis legalization in the first place...Seems like Paul's college-age fans were bigger believers in this than he ever was (and he cleverly did nothing to make them think otherwise)

[Romulox]

21. I disagree strongly. Tack as closely to Romney as possible on this issue; do what he does.

That's the only "sensible" approach, right now.

[Major Hogwash]

22. Not a good time for "No Drama Obama" to start any sheee-it.

You know, like saying he doesn't see anything wrong with gays getting married.

[Romulox]

27. Right. People DO NOT want to see any contrast with Mitt. Just copy Romney! nt

[Major Hogwash]

29. Well, he is the first gay President.

Newsweek says so.

"Now who can argue with that?" ~ Blazing Saddles

LoL

That was the funniest damn video I ever saw here.

[Hippo_Tron]

30. I'd settle for decriminalization

Just go back to punishing it with the equivalent of a traffic ticket, like we did before the 1980's. Stop using federal law enforcement to crack down on it and stop sending people to prison for it. If outright legalization is too touchy of a subject with this and that demographic, and he's worried about being perceived as condoning drug use, I get that, and that's a battle we can fight another day.

But changing the way we deal with pot is just common sense.

[agravan]

35. Isn't evolve just another word for flip-flop?

[LetTimmySmoke]

37. There's two things you are allowed to evolve on.

One is gay marriage. The other is pot.