Obama's pot problem...in Colorado

[Comrade Grumpy]

http://www.salon.com/2012/07/19/obamas_pot_problem/

Obama's Pot Problem--Will the president's tough stance on marijuana cost him the crucial swing state of Colorado?

Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 08:49 AM PDT

By Matt Taylor

http://www.salon.com/2012/07/19/obamas_pot_problem/

President Barack Obama has disappointed drug reform advocates across the country since taking office as president, and nowhere do they feel more betrayed than in Colorado. After holding the party convention in Denver and handily carrying this traditionally Republican state in 2008, Obama could be jeopardizing his re-election bid with a dismissive and even hostile approach to marijuana reform, a top issue for tens of thousands of local residents, including many of the activists who powered his last campaign.

Obama inspired hope with early signals on relaxing drug policy, including the October 2009 "Ogden memo" that said the U.S. would not prosecute in states that allow medical marijuana. In the past two years, however, the Feds have targeted medical marijuana facilities with a record number of raids, putting Obama on course to surpass the previous high set by George W. Bush. In Colorado alone, 40 dispensaries - all in compliance with state and local law - have been shut down already this year.

The surprising about-face has inspired former supporters in Colorado to try to legalize the drug outright. They managed to get a proposition to that effect on the ballot this November, and while some are (not unreasonably) teasing the possibility that the initiative, Amendment 64, might help the president by bringing a younger, more liberal electorate out to the polls, there are also warning signs that many of these same voters won't pull the lever for Obama in a crucial swing state.

"The element that nobody's really talking about is what I call the Gary Johnson effect," says Denver Democratic political consultant Rick Ridder.

Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico running for president on the Libertarian ticket, has begun holding press conferences from medical marijuana dispensaries and assailing Obama for waging the War on Drugs. When combined with the steady drip of news about the latest massive DEA raids on what many local Democrats consider legitimate small business owners, his presence in Colorado is poised to cause some headaches for the White House as campaign season heats up.

<snip>

Much more at the link...

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. A bit more from the article:

Polls show the president with a small but stable advantage in Colorado over Republican nominee Mitt Romney, but local political observers say his advisers are kidding themselves if they think they have much breathing room, and that it will be a much tighter spread than in 2008, when Obama won by a nine-point margin.

"Obama on his best day is at 45 or 47 percent out here," says longtime Colorado pollster Floyd Ciruli. He thinks the marijuana initiative, support for which has ranged from 46 to 61 percent in polls (depending on how the question is asked), may well do better than the president in November and that Democrats "can't take that vote for granted."

And conversations with a wide range of local activists and political insiders suggest it's not just votes Obama risks hemorrhaging with his regressive pot stance, but campaign donations and volunteers as well.

"I volunteered for his campaign, primarily because he said he was going to respect state marijuana laws," says Josh Kappel, a Denver attorney who works at Sensible Colorado, a marijuana reform group at the forefront of the legalization effort. He's yet to decide whether to vote for or volunteer for the president again, waiting to gauge the administration's actions between now and Election Day. Talk of Gary Johnson is in the air, he says.

Wanda James, a Democratic fundraiser who bundled $100,000 for Obama's 2008 campaign while serving on his national finance committee, runs an edible marijuana business in the state. She is so outraged at the White House that she "won't raise a dime" for his re-election.

[Comrade Grumpy]

2. Real Clear Politics has Obama up 2.9 points over Romney in its average of the polls.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/co/colorado_romney_vs_obama-2023.html

Most polls don't include Johnson, but a Public Policy Polling poll had him at 7%. Interestingly, he may be hurting Romney more than Obama, according to PPP.

[Ohio Joe]

3. repug/ronulan bullshit... Fuck Johnson

I'm a bit fuzzy on why shit promoting this asshole is allowed. I can assure you that this D in Colorado is not going to fall for it.

[Comrade Grumpy]

12. It's called discussing politics and policy.

[Ohio Joe]

13. It is called promoting repug/ronulan bullshit - nt

[Motown_Johnny]

4. Because of Rmoney's pro pot agenda?

[randome]

6. Right. Bullshit article.

[Comrade Grumpy]

11. No, because of Obama's anti-pot agenda.

Colorado has been hit by the heavy-handed dispensary crackdown.

Colorado has a marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot.

The danger for Obama in this is not that Romney is going to pick up the pro-pot vote, but that Gary Johnson will. Colorado is already polling tighter than it voted in 2008 and one poll had Johnson at 7%. Obama is leading by less than three points in the average of the polls.

Obama doesn't have to endorse legalization, but he could probably put Colorado in the safe category just by calling off his DEA dogs, who are going after dispensaries.

[musiclawyer]

5. POTUS failure to reign the in the DEA and US Attorneys will increase turn out IMHO

There is seething rage out there in the MM community and among others about the Feds actions. They will turn out to send a message. Same thing in the other states where legalization is on the ballot. They are not dumb though--no voting GOP

[mike_c]

7. it has absolutely cost him this Californian's vote....

Although I've made it no secret that I dislike MANY of the current administration's policies-- I mean, are we STILL fighting stupid and unnecessary wars against people that were NEVER any threat to us?-- are the Wall Street foxes still harvesting lives and souls from the economic chicken house where the rest of us struggle to make a living day to day?-- but the War on Drugs hits very close to home. Marijuana is part of the fabric of life in my community. We KNOW it is a beneficial, benign plant that combines numerous medical properties with a gentle, mood enhancing euphoria. We KNOW the WOD is unnecessary, and that it destroys lives and livelihoods for no good reason. We KNOW that alcohol and tobacco kill and sicken millions of Americans every year, and that marijuana harms no one, unless one considers the munchies on par with, say, spousal abuse or drunken driving-- yet we watch federal agents assaulting our communities every day and taking our friends, neighbors, and children to prison for choosing marijuana over prescription drugs or alcohol.

If we can stand in our backyards and see blue sky, but folks in Washington insist that it's yellow, we know they're lying because we live with the evidence to the contrary. The same is true of marijuana. The government-- OBAMA'S government-- continues to prop up its failed and bankrupt WOD with lies about marijuana, utter fabrications that more and more people see through. We KNOW they're lying.

edit: spelling, it's a good thing.

[randome]

8. So because you want to experience euphoria from time to time, you will not vote for Obama.

Are you saying you're not voting at all this year? Makes one wonder why you are on Democratic Underground.

Not voting is like a half-vote for Romney.

[mike_c]

9. no, because Obama consistently lies about his administration's WOD...

...and because his DOJ is LITERALLY targeting my friends and neighbors, people in my community, who do good in this community-- that's one of the reasons why I cannot vote for him.

In keeping with the rules of DU, I will not be baited into discussing who I plan to vote for otherwise. But thanks for offering to play!

[Panasonic]

10. Since legalization is on the ballot (Amendment 64) - if Obama orders his DEA and DoJ goons to stand

down immediately and sign an EO removing cannabis from scheduling, it'll be easier and will be profitable for the U.S. to start growing hemp and marijuana as sell it as their #1 cash crop.

Also, firing John Walsh from his position of U.S. Attorney here in Colorado would be a huge step forward.

[otohara]

14. New World Order

I have a 25 year old and he and most of his college educated friends all believe the NWO stuff. My college educated son and I go round and round about this all the time.

They think voting is useless and it does not make a difference. I entered dangerous territory last week when the lead guy of a popular band my son works with started a post about how voting is a waste of time. His post was getting much praise and many likes. They really are pretty clueless on government - none voted in the special election in NC, or even bothered to register to vote.

Mama bear jumped in and made them feel like shit for not voting in the special election and abandoning the LGBT community. I also educated them on what not voting in 2010 brought us. They talk and talk about changing the world but they don't use their voices to get involved. They back away from "politics" so not to be taking sides, but sometimes you gotta takes sides.

I also reminded them, one party is far worse than the other.

Anyway, he pulled the thread and I found out later he regretted not voting in the special election.

They may punish Obama in Colorado over the MM thing. Although most of the closings were a result of the local folks and banning dispensaries being close to schools.


Sigh~!