111–120 of 194 posts
This means very little while the republicans control the senate, I imagine.
I can imagine some GOP senators voting for this bill but I feel I have to get pretty imaginative to imagine it passing.
The Senate is a deeply broken political institution. Every single Republican, by supporting Mitch McConnell as majority leader, is complicit in its destruction.
The fact that this won't sail through congress in a week (it'll never even come up for a vote in the senate) really illustrates how out of touch legislators are with voters. If there was a nationwide referendum on legalizing (not just decriminalizing) it would pass in a landslide today. Instead, congress will dither on this issue for probably the next five years at minimum. I realize it's more complicated than giving…
The fact that this won't sail through congress in a week (it'll never even come up for a vote in the senate) really illustrates how out of touch legislators are with voters. If there was a nationwide referendum on legalizing (not just decriminalizing) it would pass in a landslide today. Instead, congress will dither on this issue for probably the next five years at minimum. I realize it's more complicated than giving…
That party has the overwhelming favor of its constituency. They lost the top spot, but largely held their own in legislative elections. They may have a large contingent of people who would be in favor of decriminalization, but they don't seem to mind that their party obstructs it. Meantime, they have a constituency who is bitterly opposed to legalization, so they get to rule the day.
It's a discussion that needs to be held within that party. They won't listen to anybody from outside. They've made their bargain about a slate of issues they care about and issues they're willing to sacrifice.
There is even have video evidence of illegally adding and counting votes... but oh no! Can't discuss how to improve that process...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKkheU5cy2E
Frankly, while I agree with the legislation, but the entire country is angry (one way or another). We should probably try to address the real issues.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Republicans don't actually stand for anything, other than "do the opposite of what Democrats want"
Comments like this add nothing. By this logic, the inverse is also true.
Democrats did.
It's easy to say "both sides" but the facts don't match that platitude.
> not expected to advance further as long as the Senate remains in Republican hands. > “This legislation does not legalize cannabis across the country. It stops the federal government from interfering with what states have decided to do” In all seriousness, isn’t the Republican platform weaker central government? Why the exception?
Because the Republican party is, really more than anything else at this point, the party of white supremacy. Marijuana laws help prop up the existing paradigm, where black people are disproportionally harmed, a leftover (intentional) remnant of Nixon's inherently racist War On Drugs. Repealing that would help black people more than white people, thus the Republicans are against it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Republicans don't actually stand for anything, other than "do the opposite of what Democrats want"
Comments like this add nothing. By this logic, the inverse is also true.
In their own words they define themselves by their opposition to democrats.
[1] https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/docs/Resolution_Platform_202...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I imagine Democrats wouldn't do this if they had control of the government. Why not? It's already decriminalized in virtually the entire country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_U.S._j... 35 states have legalized it for medical use, and 15 have legalized it recreationally. From the map, it looks like Idaho stands alone on it being completely illegal and criminalized.
There is a really good point Democrats were almost universally against gay marriage until it cross the public support threshold. Looks at the stark difference between Obama on gay marriage in his first vs second term. If the polling shows enough people support it Democrats will pretty quickly flip to the support side of the issue if it goes anything like marriage.
https://www.pewforum.org/fact-sheet/changing-attitudes-on-ga...
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/11/14/americans-s...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I imagine Democrats wouldn't do this if they had control of the government. Why not? It's already decriminalized in virtually the entire country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_U.S._j... 35 states have legalized it for medical use, and 15 have legalized it recreationally. From the map, it looks like Idaho stands alone on it being completely illegal and criminalized.
There is a really good point Democrats were almost universally against gay marriage until it cross the public support threshold. Looks at the stark difference between Obama on gay marriage in his first vs second term. If the polling shows enough people support it Democrats will pretty quickly flip to the support side of the issue if it goes anything like marriage.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Republicans don't actually stand for anything, other than "do the opposite of what Democrats want"
Comments like this add nothing. By this logic, the inverse is also true.
Except, it isn't.
in Obama's memoir, he recalls he and Biden trying to explain the policy merits of a bill to Mitch McConnell, who responds "You must be under the mistaken impression that I care”
https://mobile.twitter.com/jonmladd/status/13276522875195965...