> “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?
In all seriousness, no.
Though weaker central government is something they trot out tomjustify opposition to functions they don't like government doing, while cheerfully increasing central government power when the central government is doing things that they approve of, like regulating substances, for instance.
In the US both parties want a stronger central government, just with different priorities.
That would be a proper minarchist position.
“Conservative” is more about the aims of government than its size, though in an attempt to build a coalition with libertarians, American conservatives selectively use minarchist language when justifying their opposition to things that they really oppose for purpose reasons rather than government size reasons.
The GOP policy website this election was literally copy pasted from 2016 - it infamously contained references to how they need to change things the incumbent president did.
I would love a Neoliberal Democratic party.
Democrats did.
It's easy to say "both sides" but the facts don't match that platitude.
In their own words they define themselves by their opposition to democrats.
[1] https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/docs/Resolution_Platform_202...
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...
Its insane to me as well, but the traditional Republican base likes to see "dirty criminals" go away and support police efforts to do so, cannabis is still associated with them in their minds.
Personally I think its changing amongst the voting base but theres still a strong cultural momentum around demonizing these drugs, especially amongst the Evangelical White Southerners that make up the core of their voting base.
Edit: There's a cynical side to this as well - Neither party wants to "give" the party anything without getting something in return. Republicans allowing cannabis reform does nothing for them politically but makes the Democrats look good. Why would they allow that to happen without getting something back?
It seems to be more about small tax breaks, and making life as difficult as possible for people who are not married and straight. Actually helping people might be construed as socialism.
The modern gun totting intolerant Christ is a lot different from the compassionate one who taught about "Loving your neighbor" and "Forgiveness" we learned about in bible school...
I mean, in the year 2020, sure, democrats want legal weed but I am talking about the history of the drug war in America. Democrats have never been leaders.
> I mean, in the year 2020, sure, democrats want legal weed but I am talking about the history of the drug war in America. Democrats have never been leaders.
And it's not all the democrats that support legalization. I bet you the democrats would not be able to pass this in the senate even if they had a majority. I would put a lot of money on this wager.
You can call things "horseshit" all you want, doesn't move the discussion forward.
And they're like that because most people (voters in particular) are like that. Everyone wants stronger government control and regulation over the things they personally dislike, and less control over the things they do like, and they vote for the party that matches those preferences.
Most Republican voters like and dislike the same things, while Democratic voters tend to have much larger variability (outside a core set of things.) It's why the GOP has an easier time hanging on to power than the Democrats do.
The general impression I get is that a majority of Republicans would support federal decriminalization of cannabis. Most of those support legalization as a specific goal, while others would support through their view of federalism.
A supermajority of US citizens support legalization at this point - only around 1/3 poll as be opposed as of last year, and that number is consistently falling over time.
It's honestly not a partisan issue at this point - it's a "politician" issue.
It used to be that politicians could pander a little to the base during a primary and then "run to the centre" in the general. Those days are gone, because "being primaried" is a real and persistent risk.
The practical upshot is that the system is structured to favour fringe voices rather than the median voter.
I've given up trying to find coherent values in Republican actions. There are many conservative views that have merit, but they're not reflected in Republican policies.
We are taught that in school, but their policy doesn't line up with that.
There is a strong debate to be made Biden is more fiscally right leaning than Trump. Where Trump was big into economic intervention (higher taxes through tariffs and SALT Deduction removal, higher deficit, new government spending projects, tax credits, free money, and restricting commerce on bump stocks).
Despite having the word “conservatism” in it, fiscal conservatism isn't a Right position in that more of it makes you more right. It's basically a position whose apex is in center-right neoliberal corporate capitalism; go farther left or right and it becomes less of a priority.
Biden is definitely closer to the center-right than Trump, but he's not more right-leaning.