Search Results for 'marijuana'
Halloween Open Thread [10.31.14]
![Halloween Open Thread [10.31.14]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Halloween-Decor-Walgreens-240x180.jpg "Halloween Open Thread [10.31.14]")
“Democratic efforts to turn out the young and nonwhite voters who sat out the 2010 midterm elections appear to be paying off in several Senate battleground states. More than 20 percent of the nearly three million votes already tabulated in Georgia, North Carolina, Colorado and Iowa have come from people who did not vote in the last midterm election,” according to an analysis of early-voting data by The Upshot.
I have felt all along that this election was not going to play out according to the normal media’s Republican Landslide/Obama/Democrats Repudiated narrative. The reason why is 1) the Democrats were going to do a presidential level GOTV operation to make up for the embarrassing loss in 2010, and 2) like in 1998, I felt like there was going to be GOP overreach and a pushback from the public. In 1998, the result of that was the Dems breaking even in the Senate and winning 5 seats in the House. In 2014, it will be the Dems holding onto the Senate. I will be releasing my full predictions of how the Dems will do that on Monday.
Come inside for more polls…
Friday Open Thread [10.17.14]
![Friday Open Thread [10.17.14]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/93196_600-240x180.jpg "Friday Open Thread [10.17.14]")
I can predict that next year’s General Assembly will be all about education and pot. Why pot?
A majority of Delawareans support fully legalizing marijuana according to a new poll, but the issue’s political future isn’t quite as certain.
56 percent of state residents are in favor of it, compared to 39 percent opposing the issue according to the University of Delaware poll.
Carney’s debate performance WOW’s sceptics
That would be a surprising headline, wouldn’t it? Alas, it would be hard to be wowed by the softballs lobbed by Nancy Karibjellybean or Carney’s predictably flavorless responses.
Why Not Invest A Few Shekels in These Candidates?
1. Sean Matthews, 11th RD: Even if you backed Dennis E. Williams in the primary, you’d have to admit that Matthews is infinitely preferable to R candidate Judy Travis, whose support comes from far out of the political mainstream. As opposed to your traditional Brandywine Hundred R, Travis is one of only two House candidates to get the support of the Delaware chapter of the Faith & Freedom Coalition.
2. John Mackenzie, 22nd RD: A rarity. Campaign stuff that’s worth reading. Click on this and on this. Not only is it clear that he wrote his own copy, but he comes across as someone who will be a serious legislator and quite the progressive. He perhaps reminds me most of Michael Barbieri, who is one of the most outstanding legislators we have. We could use several more legislators like him, and Mackenzie is in that mold.
3. Marie Mayor, 20th RD: Well, let’s see. She’s right on the issues, she’s running a great campaign, she never really stopped running after the 2012 election, she almost won last time, and she, too, would immediately take her place as one of the best legislators in Dover. The political stars could also be aligned, as the anti-Obama folks won’t overrun the Sussex County results like in 2012. I also believe that, once she’s elected, her constituent work will enable her to get reelected several times over. Let’s help her win!
El Somnambulo Predicts ‘Em All For You
This column will self-destruct sometime around 9 p.m. next Tuesday. Or perhaps Saturday, according to Dave Tackett’s latest mailer (seriously, he has the wrong day for the primary on his mailer.) Time to pick the primary winners (and losers).
State Senator-SD 11 (D): Even with pretty good name recognition, it’s hard to win a D primary against a popular incumbent when your ideological base resides within a right-wing evangelical church. Bryan Townsend gives Dave Tackett a well-deserved whooping, I mean whoooping, 62-38. (Memo to Dave: Next time, try Spell Check. Despite what it says on your latest piece, there are only two o’s in ‘trooper’, not three. Oh, and political mailers should have a disclaimer as to who paid for them. You’re welcome.)
Wednesday Open Thread [8.20.14]
![Wednesday Open Thread [8.20.14]](http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/53f3d2a6eab8ea551cc03eed-480-/8-19-2014%20james%20richard%20perry%20booking%20photo.jpg "Wednesday Open Thread [8.20.14]")
More Ferguson, to be filed in the Annals of Really Bad Policing — video of a cop in last night’s protests in Ferguson of a cop waving his weapon at peaceful protesters telling them that ” I will fucking kill you!” There are two videos here — one of the cop threatening the protester and a clearer one of the cop and the other cop who caught up to him to get him to lower his weapon. Seriously, this cop doesn’t look angry — he looks scared to death. In a group of people with their hands up (and often you can see the light of smartphones filming), folks. No wonder he didn’t want to give his name.
If not a data center for Newark, then what?
46 Readers thought that “a marijuana processing & distribution center” would be a good choice for the future site of The University of Delaware’s Division 1 football team. “A weedy lot” was a distant second with 21 votes. While the actual answer, “A 60,000 seat Football Stadium” had a measly 14 fans. Some dozen die […]
Delaware Political Weekly: July 12-18, 2014
The Democratic Party endorses neither candidate for the State Treasurer primary. Kremlinologists no doubt will enjoy parsing the following sentence:
Given the Committee’s perception of quality both Democratic Treasurer candidates possess, the committee failed to reach consensus on the endorsement of either candidate.
Might I suggest that this is one endorsement that neither candidate really wanted? How could Chip run as the anti-establishment candidate if the establishment endorsed him, and how could Barney run as someone not beholden to the Carpers and Carneys of this world if he got the endorsement? My vote will ultimately come down to this: What can we least afford? A self-delusional narcissist who has had his hands effectively tied, or the next Carper or Carney?
Wednesday Open Thread [7.9.14]
![Wednesday Open Thread [7.9.14]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Wednesday-240x180.png "Wednesday Open Thread [7.9.14]")
The GOP decided yesterday that they will hold their 2016 convention in Cleveland. Some say it is smart and may help the Republicans win Ohio, which they have to do in order to win the Presidency. I say the reverse is true: it will give Ohioans, especially those in the Cleveland collar counties that may think about voting GOP, a close up and personal look at the freak show that is a GOP convention, especially when you consider that the most likely nominee will either be Rand Paul or Ted Cruz. Meanwhile, Politico tells us that the Cleveland convention for the GOP will be held much earlier that usual this time, like at the end of July or beginning of August. Well, actually, that is the way it used to be. Conventions were not held back to back at the end of August or beginning of September. The person who started that tradition was none other than George W. Bush, who wanted to move the 2004 convention to the week of September 11 so that he could fully and cravenly politicize the terrorist attack that he allowed to happen on his watch. Such a late convention for the GOP forced the Dems to move theirs up to late August so that it would not be three months since their convention. And that pattern stuck around in 2008 and 2012. Normally, the opposition party held its convention in July, and the incumbent party held theirs in mid August.
Tuesday Open Thread [7.8.14]
New York Magazine presents a piece noting that the longstanding alliance between Teacher’s unions and Democrats may be close to over. That might make some sense, really — Democrats have been at the forefront of initiatives that specifically work at dismantling the public school system and also scapegoating teachers for a multitude of longstanding problems in schools. I’m a fan of unions exercising their political power — especially since it looks like even that is under threat. I’m not sure about the best way to go about that, but it is time to stop accommodating AND providing contributions and boots on the ground while getting nothing in return:
Tuesday Open Thread [6.10.14]
![Tuesday Open Thread [6.10.14]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/obamasmug-240x180.jpg "Tuesday Open Thread [6.10.14]")
Jonathan Chait says Obama has accomplished all of his domestic goals that he listed in his Inaugural Address in 2009. I think when people right the book on the Obama Presidency, it is going to be the most eventful in terms of accomplishment since Franklin Roosevelt’s. Consider this from Andrew Sullivan:
Imagine the legacy [at the end of Obama’s presidency]: no troops in Iraq or Afghanistan; Gitmo closed; universal healthcare entrenched; Iran’s nuclear threat defused; marriage equality in all fifty states; the end of marijuana Prohibition; and carbon energy cut down to size. Repeat after me: meep meep, motherf*ckers.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 4, 2014
We need more legislative days like yesterday.
Good bills passing all over the place. The Senate passed HB 251(M. Smith) (3 Rethug nos), SB 181(Blevins), SB 185(Townsend)(5 nos, 4 Rethugs and Venables), SB 212(Hall-Long), and SB 219(Hall-Long)(unanimous!).
Every one of these bills is something that progressives can embrace. Both Senators Lopez and Cloutier voted yes on all of these. Check ’em out for yourself, and I think you can see an emerging progressive consensus in the General Assembly. I want to highlight SB 219…..
General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Admit it. Like me, you didn’t see this coming. $3 mill in funding earmarked for the University of Delaware in limbo while the Delaware General Assembly awaits word on what the U of D will decide in terms of the plan to build a data center and energy plant on university land. I have no problem in general with the General Assembly withholding funds from the University when UD is recalcitrant. I just wish they had done it to force UD to open its records to the public. Maybe they’ll do that next year.
This is clearly a power play by labor and some business interests to get this project moving. We’re talking Jobs vs. NIMBY. I ain’t got a dawg in this fight, but it’ll make for a fascinating June. WWUDD?
I also can’t believe that the General Assembly will allow a $70 million swath to be cut through DELDOT’s construction budget, I just can’t. If we’re talking about jobs, how does reducing road projects from around $190 million to about $120 million protect them? It doesn’t. Now that Valerie Longhurst’s power is on the wane, perhaps wiser heads will prevail in the General Assembly. Especially if a certain bridge on I-495 is in danger of falling down. Again, some great drama for the final month. Uh, not the falling down part, I hope, but the question of whether legislators will lay down on the job and bid a lot of jobs and important work adieu.
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