Obama or McCain
Until the selection of Joe Biden as his running mate there was some hope that Barack Obama would at the very least do no harm in the drug theater.Biden is poison to drug reform and to the whole drug issue.He is the architect of most of the really draconian legislation that's come down over the course of his unrepentant career.McCain is just a relic of a bygone era in which the country was tearing itself apart over a foreign war and the loudest of those opponents,that McCain often reminisces about being spit on by(whether it actually happened or not,he believes it did)hippies,who the old man sees as drug addicts and his enemy.His performances in town halls with dying medical marijuana patients was unforgivable and anyone that calls themselves a reformer and would vote for such a man is on the wrong bus.I learned a lesson on elections here in Canada where I had the choice of allowing a Harper candidate to win or voting for a party I had zero respect for and even less of a choice.At least the man was palatable.Stephen Harper is a dictator who rarely allows anyone else to speak at all.As such,he bears the responsibility for the backward direction in Canada's drug policy that began the day he took office.The fact that 55% of us(for small)want legal marijuana was not only brought up in only negative terms but caused the dismissal of two NDP candidates for past use.This happened one day after the party sent me an e mail claiming to want decriminalization.They may want it but they would never admit it and on the rare occasions that it was brought up,the candidate and the leader bristled and denied any allegiance with reformists.I seems that while a majority of Canadians are in favor,it's not nearly enough.I don't know what the magic number is but it's not 55%.Democracy has never been a majority rule in Canada because what ever side is split,and now it's those on the left,has to share the vote while the right is united.37% 0f 59% of the country are running the show.That's not what I was taught that democracy is all about.I hope you have better luck down south but as it stands I have no Idea how.McCain would be a disaster and Biden is even worse.While your country seems to see the error of it's prohibitionist ways,your candidates don't get it.Electing third party or reform minded candidates is at least an option down there.Here we have one vote for one person and that gives us what amounts to no choice at all.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday sicntired.
Third Party Candidates
The problem with third party candidates down here are that A) they can't spend the amount of money the two major parties can, B) they tend to be unappealing to the mainstream voters, and C) the mainstream media refuses to present their candidacies as viable.
Reformers are routinely presented as addicts and members of a lunatic fringe. If a retired police officer, for instance, comes out in favor of reform, he's immediately attacked as either being out of his mind or having been on the take when he was working. His former department will disassociate themselves.
Many of the people understand what's wrong with prohibition and why it doesn't work, but the politicians still have to toe the "hard on drugs" line to have any chance at being elected, and make no mistake, politicians care more about getting elected than making sense.
vote third party
It doesn't matter what other people do. It matters what you do.
Vote for a third party candidate - Barr, ect.
I can't dirty my hands with McCain or Obama.
Bill Cooke
http://www.tobaccoland.us
http://www.undertakerpress.com
Obama
It's true our duopoly choices are pretty lousy w/r/t this issue, but Obama has, at the very least, publicly admitted the drug war is a failure (he's put thought into the issue) and been the first Dem/Rep to rather unapologetically admit drug use before a presidential candidacy...AFAIK. In short, I believe Obama has the trust of the people and, when the opportunity arises, has the skills to really educate people on this issue.
I tried to watch a few independent debates. It was painful. These people may be great thinkers, but do not inspire or persuade ("lead") effectively. It's not enough to say the fed govt. has no business legislating drug use; people need to hear why it doesn't work. People need to hear the best arguments made against alcohol's prohibition and that they came from common people.
Paul was the only other candidate that I've seen speak effectively on this, but he had no hope of getting on a Rep. ticket and wouldn't get my vote for many other reasons.
I rest my case
[email protected],Vancouver,B.C.Canada The comments just confirm that under the current way elections are run,third party candidates have no hope of being in charge.The best bet is to vote in representatives with solid drug reform platforms.If you're lucky enough to actually have that choice.Election reform is a hot issue here in Canada but you have a totally different system and you would have to come up with different solutions to those being considered up here.
The hole system is corrupt
The hole system is corrupt and if there not corrupted when they go in they sure will be or they won't last. There all a pack of wolves
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