Candidate stakes race on legalizing pot

[Kadie]

Candidate stakes race on legalizing pot
The Senate hopeful's legal background is surprising to some.

By Laura Mecoy -- Bee Los Angeles Bureau
Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, May 30, 2004

NEWPORT BEACH - If any other U.S. Senate candidate proposed legalizing marijuana, voters might question what that politician had been smoking.

But the California hopeful making that pitch doesn't get those questions - at least not very often.

He is Jim Gray, a Republican-appointed Superior Court judge from conservative Orange County who said he's never used illegal drugs. The 59-year-old former Republican became a Libertarian last year and is now that party's nominee to unseat Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer.
"Every vote I get will be a vote to get the federal government out of the marijuana business," he tells audiences.

Gray addresses other issues, but his call for an end to federal prohibitions on marijuana is generating more buzz for the Libertarian Party than it's received in years.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/nation/story/9480428p-10404414c.html

[virtualobserver]

1. a republican "plant" to draw away liberal votes.

...perhaps

[Trillo]

2. Perhaps not

Maybe more democrats should campaign on the legalization of pot issue. If they don't, it might be a sign of a corporate bias.

[mitchtv]

3. Hey, if the Dems want to stand in the way

It's an issue that can be a deal breaker for me. Advice to Dem candidates: Legalize Marijuana Now. attn B. Boxer. Sorry if you are afraid to represent your constituency.

[Pushed To The Left]

4. I wish more Democrats would take Gray's stance.

I'll still vote for Boxer, because we need Democrats in office now more than ever, and a vote for Gray may have a Nader-like effect. I think she's pretty liberal on social issues. I took advantage of the open primary some years back and voted for Gray in the Republican primaries over this issue. (He lost the primaries to Dornan, but Dornan lost to Loretta Sanchez, so it turned out well!) I also voted for Republican Tom Campbell in 2000 over the drug issue, so I feel very strongly about this. In fact, the medical marijuana issue was a major factor in me choosing John Kerry in the presidential primaries.

[jcldragon]

5. Libertarian Party

If the American people realize the full extent of the Neo-Con corruption of the Republican Party, then most of that party's leadership will end up in prison. Which means that traditional Conservatives won't have much choise but to become Libertarians.

There's no way I would vote for this guy over Barbara Boxer, so I'll just hope that he stays in politics after losing...