Pubdate: Wed, 15 Jan 2014
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2014 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: Michael Graham

WHAT ARE DEMS SMOKING?

"Are you high?" It's a phrase commonly used to indicate that the
person you're talking to has just said something less than rational.

I'm going to invest all my money in ostrich farming! "Are you
high?"

The guy I just started dating is scheduled to make parole in 2017!
"Are you high?"

I'm going to punish my boss's political opponents by shutting down two
lanes of traffic on ...

You get the point. We don't associate being stoned, roasted or buzzed
with having good ideas. So what to make of the Democrats' latest
proposal to reach out to young voters?

Generation Cupcake is slowly waking up to the fact that the Obamacare
math leaves them holding the generational bag. They hate the NSA
spying on them, and they can't comprehend a government so stupid it
can't launch a website - something many of them have done on their
smartphones.

The result is that Obama's numbers are dismal among 18to 29-year-olds,
about half of whom, according to a survey by Harvard's Institute of
Politics, would recall President Obama if they could. He won 67
percent of their votes just one year ago.

Add the unique role young voters played in Democrats' 2008/2012
success - Obama won the youth vote by bigger margins than any recent
president - to the usual midterm slump in turnout and 2014 doesn't
look bad for Democrats. It looks apocalyptic.

So how to get all the cool kids to show up at the Democrats' 2014
midterm party? Dude - they've got weed! "Legalization of marijuana is
going to become an issue," Democratic strategist Tad Devine told the
Boston Globe-Democrat. "I believe it's an issue that will absolutely
activate a voter base, of young people in particular."

Erik Altieri of NORML, the group advocating pot legalization across
the country, says, "You're seeing a lot of movement in the Democratic
Party especially."

Now comes word that, inspired by their success passing legalization
via referenda in Colorado and Washington state, pot activists plan to
fire up their efforts in Massachusetts. They want to put recreational
pot on the ballot in 2016.

So potheads are counting on Democrats to turn out and vote for
legalization, while Democrats are hoping potheads will lift their
party while voting for pot.

Liberals must be so proud to know that, the more weed we smoke, the
more sense they make.

We've seen the Soccer Moms and the NASCAR Dads. Now Democrats are
going after ... what? "Generation Joint"? The "Munchie-American" vote?

I'm not saying Democrats are wrong. You've gotta go where the votes
are and, given their party's collapsing numbers among employed,
middle-class, middle-aged voters, they need to scrape the bottom of
the bong ... er, barrel for every vote.

But how ironic to watch liberal Nanny Staters suddenly embracing the
libertarian message of "Live Free And High!"

The same liberals who've banned bottled water, shopping bags,
Styrofoam cups and (d'oh!) smoking anything anywhere are telling young
stoners, "Vote for us, and we'll let you do whatever you want!"

Yes, Massachusetts liberals, please explain why you've banned smoking
water-vapor-emitting e-cigarette smoking outdoors, but are ready to
make it legal to fire up a doobie in the Bay State.

While Nanny-State Democrats twist themselves into pro-pot pretzels,
libertarian Republicans led by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul can offer young
voters an intellectually-consistent record of support for individual
choice.

Democrats - you really think this is going to work for
you?

See line one of this column.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D