Post-election ruminations
And in the much-ballyhooed NY-23 special election, Conservative Party candidate, and self-proclaimed Glenn Beck acolyte, Doug Hoffman was given the smackdown by Democrat Bill Owens.
Now, I would draw from this Democratic victory in a traditionally Republican area – the first Democrat to represent New York’s North Country in over a century – a few observations.
First, what works for conservatives in Texas or Georgia might not work for conservatives in California or New York. One of the lovely things about conservative philosophy is its emphasis on local politics. Dede Scozzafada may not have been red enough meat for the likes of Sean Hannity or Michelle Malkin, but she might have been just the right shade for northern New Yorkers. Doug Hoffman, on the other hand, might have fit in better somewhere else. Really, it was a northern New York affair. The national Republican meddling distorted the issues on the ground. Left alone, Scozzafada may very well have beat Owens, giving the GOP a much-needed seat in the House – even if she wasn’t of purest stock. Remember, in Virginia, the Republican candidate campaigned on fiscal and economic issues – as a pragmatic leader, not as a red meat social conservative. And he won.
Second, even a liberal Republican is much more likely to vote with Republicans on issues than a moderate Democrat. Party loyalty cannot be underestimated here.
So what does the conservative movement take from this loss amidst all this victory? [Read more →]
November 4, 2009 21 Comments
Feds no longer busting sick people for medical marijuana use
Public opinion is virtually the same on a question that relates to a public policy debate brewing in California — whether marijuana should be legalized and taxed as a way of raising revenue for state governments. Just over 4 in 10 Americans (42%) say they would favor this in their own state; 56% are opposed. Support is markedly higher among residents of the West — where an outright majority favor the proposal — than in the South and Midwest. The views of Eastern residents fall about in the middle.
The new findings come as the U.S. Justice Department has reportedly decided to loosen its enforcement of federal anti-marijuana laws by not pursuing individuals who buy or sell small amounts of the drug in conformity with their own states’ medical marijuana laws. This seems likely to meet with U.S. public approval, as previous Gallup polling has found Americans generally sympathetic to legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. In 2003, 75% of Americans favored allowing doctors to legally prescribe marijuana to patients in order to reduce pain and suffering.
This is also an economic issue. In California, not only are normal suburbanites turning to pot-farming for extra cash – selling legally to dispensaries – but local governments are shoring up lost revenue during the recession with new cannabis taxes. [Read more →]
October 20, 2009 9 Comments
