On three separate occasions, the White House has asked the public to provide them with feedback on the top public policy questions facing the nation. And on three separate occasions, the leading question for the new administration — as chosen on and voted by the American public — pertained to the legalization of marijuana.
One might examine these results and conclude that marijuana law reform is an issue that is becoming increasingly popular with America’s voters. Of course if you’re Fox News, you interpret these results another way.
Obama’s Effort at Online Transparency Stymied by Internet Trolls
via Fox News
“Three and a half million people participated in the event, but the ‘trolls’ had their way: Following a coordinated campaign by marijuana advocates to vote their topic to the top of the list, questions on the future of the U.S. dollar and the rising unemployment rate were superseded by questions about legalizing pot as an economic remedy.”
Got to hand it to the folks at Fox. (PS: For the record, Wired makes the same accusation!) National polls show that the public’s support for legalization has never been greater. Leading political and media pundits are now demanding that we end the criminal prohibition of pot. Yet despite all evidence to the contrary, the old guard at Fox News cynically clings to the notion that nobody supports taxing and regulating marijuana aside from a handful of “Internet trolls.” We report, you decide, huh?
Of course, Fox News didn’t come up with this spin on their own. After all, it was White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs — yes, the same Robert Gibbs who couldn’t come up with one valid reason to oppose regulating pot besides “uh” — who initially tried to downplay the popularity of marijuana law reform, telling the New York Times that “advocates for legalizing marijuana, … includ[ing] NORML, had mounted a drive to rack up votes for the question.”
So let’s set the record straight shall we. On the afternoon of March 25, with only a few hours left for voting in the White House’s poll, I posted the following blog to NORML’s homepage: “Obama ‘Open For Questions’ About The Economy — Ask Him To Support Taxing And Regulating Marijuana.” Here’s what I wrote in my post:
The topic of this week’s forum is the national economy, and not surprisingly, many of you have already put forward questions to the President regarding the taxation and regulation of cannabis.
For example, the most popular question in the category “Budget” is: “With over 1 out of 30 Americans controlled by the penal system, why not legalize, control, and tax marijuana to change the failed war on drugs into a money making, money saving boost to the economy?”
Similarly, under the topic “Financial Stability,” most asked question is: “Would you support the bill currently going through the California legislature to legalize and tax marijuana, boosting the economy and reducing drug cartel related violence?”
Marijuana-related questions also top the “Green Jobs and Energy” category, and are among the top vote-getters on the site overall.
That’s right, the questions pertaining to marijuana law reform were already the top vote-getters before NORML ever put pen to paper!
Further, NORML at no time engaged in any sort of “coordinated campaign” (to quote Fox) to “rack up votes” (to quote the Obama administration). NORML did not list-serv news of the White House poll to our tens of thousands of e-zine subscribers, nor did we publicize the poll to the hundreds of thousands of people that have joined us on Facebook and Myspace. And to the best of my knowledge, no other marijuana law reform group did so either.
In short, there was no orchestrated “campaign” and there is no grand conspiracy. The simple explanation for the White House poll results is this: Marijuana law reform is immensely popular with the public. That’s why we win initiatives — time and time again. And that’s why when the public is asked whether they support ending prohibition they say ‘yes’ — in overwhelming numbers!
As my colleague Scott Morgan writes at stopthedrugwar.org: “This is a movement, and it isn’t going away. Our issue is bigger than the organizations backing it.” He’s right.
Americans are demanding a serious and objective political debate regarding the merits of legalizing marijuana. They have come to this conclusion on their own — simply by witnessing the failure of the drug war all around them.
President Obama, the time for adolescent jokes and giggles is over. Fox News, the time for insults has long passed. The public is serious; why aren’t you?
TO THE FOX NEWS CHANNEL-LET THEM SAY WHAT THEY WANT, I’M STILL A TROLLIN. THE FOX NEWS CHANNEL IS REGULATED BY A BUNCH OF AMERICAN COMMUNIST NEWS COMMENTATORS THAT ARE BIASED AND NOT FAIR AND ARE MARIJUANA PROHIBITIONISTS. THE FUTURE OF NEW WORLD ORDER NEWS BIASED AND SOCIALISTIC. BECK-HANNITY-O’RILEY-THE THREE STOOGES OF THE BROADCASTING WORLD.
Please contact as many people, Representatives, Legislators, etc and tell them to END THIS UNJUST AND IMMORAL WAR against Cannabis. After all, it is a plant with roots, leaves and yes, even flowers! And when all is said and done, and marijuana is once again LEGAL, people will look back at the 20th century (hopefully not the 21st) and say, “why did they outlaw this bountiful plant with myriad purposes?”
Oh, and tell FOX NEWS that this movement is not about trolls. It’s about morality and justice:
newsmanager@foxnews.com
What these people fail to realize is A) A voter registration card is required to vote. B) Voters can only vote 1 time. C) Medical marijuana laws were voted on in 13 states and passed. But I am supposed to believe that the multitude of questions presented via change.org and .gov about the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana were the work of “internet trolls”. The evidence speaks for itself!
#143 Mike Says:
April 19th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Amazing family guy now has a pro pot song.
RE:
As I Just heard, 10:00 min into the episode,
while watching 420 on HULU,
’bout fell out my chair!
ROTFLOL!
(A ‘dead-on’ parody of “Me ‘Ole Bamboo”
from “Chitty-Chitty, Bang-Bang” )
Priceless! 😀
STEWIE:
“You’re going about this all wrong, Brian.
If you wanna win people over, you cahn’t just drone-on like Ben Stein.
You gotta have a little more showmanship . . .
Here . . . Watch . . . ”
Now every-body gather ’round, and listen if you would…
When I tell you every person needs a way of feeling good…
Every kitty needs a ball of string, and every dog, a stick…
But all you need is a bag of weed to really get a kick…
(chorus)
One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Seven! Eight!
A bag of weed, A bag of weed…
Oh everything is better with a bag of weed…
It’s the only help that you’ll ever need…
‘Cause everything is better with a bag of weed!
*** ***
Full Lyrics HERE:
Will this commercial air in all of New york ? Commercials play an influential part in society . And us New yorkers love our smoke !
Bashing Fox, Republicans and Christians will not gain support for your/our cause of ending prohibition.
Glenn Beck on Fox (M-F 5pm) has voiced some support for re-legalizing cannabis on air more than once. He frequently has on Ron Paul and other libertarians discussing this issue and other pro-liberty topics.
Because of this, for first the first time in my adult life I am listening to a third-party candidate. I hope Ron Paul is the Republican candidate in 2012 (no third-party candidate can ever win).
In other news, I think that we only have 3 years to end prohibition of cannabis. There is never a guarantee who will become our next president. If a Republican wins, and if it’s not Ron Paul, then we will likely have to wait another 4 years. All we have to do is get one or two States to re-legalize it to start the ball rolling. Once it starts, I believe it can not be stopped.
Even though ending prohibition is very important to the security and safety of America, and to the liberty of Americans, it is not the only issue at hand. In 2012 I can not see myself voting for the Democrat candidate.
We are in a battle to win the hearts and minds of American citizens. For ‘them’ to win all they have to do is nothing. For ‘us’ to win we have to first get them talking about prohibition and then convince them that ending it is in the best interest for all Americans.
Fox news is unwatchable, even for someone like myself that favors policies of fiscal responsibility that used to be associated with the “right wing.” There is a small segment of voters that Fox News panders to. Sadly, they don’t realize that cannabis “enthusiasts” outnumber the moral majority and they would be well-served to listen if they are ever to be considered a serious political party again. Add our current and two former Presidents to the list of “internet trolls” along with Fox New’s darling Sarah Palin. Do as they say, not as they do. Thinking adults don’t care to be talked down to like a parent chastising a disobedient child. We have the facts, and its “high time” that politicians acknowledge the politically active base that is the cannabis movement.
Not add related…
Former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper has another well penned blog at Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norm-stamper/
420-thoughts-on-pot-vs-al_b_188627.html
Gavin Newsome Mayor of San Fran. running for Gov. of California!
RE:
#154, #143,
To save the trouble of ‘seeking’
to the 10 minute mark
A link to the Family Guy “Pro-Pot Musical”:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/68615/family-guy-bag-of-weed
Why FOX Television Network is
better than FAUX News:
– Brian and Stewie Griffin, (Family Guy – 420)
offer more ‘truthful’ coverage of cannabis-law-reform
than James Osborne, (author of “Internet Trolls” article).
– – After being released from jail, Brian explains
to Lois that pot was made illegal though a smear-
campaign by William Randolph Hearst, because hemp
was in competition his tree-based paper-products.
– – Later, facing a urinalysis, Brian objects over
being tested for something that is
“less harmful than alcohol”.
(This is where Brian gains strong impetus for legalization).
– Then, just prior to the musical-number, behind the microphone,
Brian says, “No more oppression!”
“We as American adults with freewill, have the right to use marijuana if we choose to”
“Enough government profiteering under the guise of morality!”
“Enough with this phony War On Drugs!”
Can someone please slip Rupert Murdoch some special brownies? They all need to get over the Boogieman. Keep on Keeping on.
no to taxation yes to freedom of choice no to more government involvement into our (my) life. lets get back to true freedom. peace AL.
just to let you know that the only network running the normal ad is fox i have seen it at 6pm and 8pm. no abc ,cbs,or nbc–other wise now that the shock has worn off i say legalize it–it will be a more peaceful world
–If you don’t care for a steak, than you must be a vegetarian.
–If you miss a day of church, than you must be the devil.
–If you don’t say hi to the black man next to you, than you must be a racist.
–If you don’t say hi to the white man next to you, than you must be a racist.
–If you are angry at women, than you must be gay.
–If you are angry at men, than you must be a lesbian.
–If you’ve got the guts to fight for your way of life, than you must be NORML….
someone once said that “madness is genius”…i wonder if they smoked reefer???
They say that god looks down upon a “drug” user…but if thou aren’t in heaven, doesnt god look down on us all???
They tell us as children that we have the power to change the world we live in…so why not change it???
If you’ve got the guts to speak up, be heard, and exercise the hell out of you’re god-given right to speak your mind, than do it…make the change, not the problem.
Join me and my brothers and sisters in our fight to make a change, everyone wants a family so be a part of ours and make it happen NOW!!!
If you wish to support the legalization, taxation and/or representation of marijuana than call this number and speak up…who knows you just might be heard.——-(973-409-3274)
ARE YOU NORML???
My previous post is a copy of a flyer that myself and others will be handing out to gain awareness and support the cause. Anybody that wants to copy it and make flyers of their own are more than welcome to. Keep fighting the good fight everyone. VIVA LA MARIJUANA!!
— Eric Uhlemeyer
i smoke while i watch fox news i seen the normal tv spot on fox i guess they dont mind taking the trolls money do they !!!!!!
make it legal dont be afraid to use your real name
Wow. Alot of Fox News bashing going on, but i have heard just as many pro-pot people on Fox as i have any of the other shitty news stations. Plus the ladies of Fox News are very easy on the eyes. But we did not see a post that say Haraldo Rivera (A Fox News corospondent) is for the out right legalization. What about the second most popular show on Fox, Glenn Beck. He also believes that legalizing marijuana would do this counrty much good. But Im sure that I am preaching to a crowd that does not like the right side of things. But we are out there. Right wing potheads. I belive they call us liberterians. The government has no business in business, private companiens, or my private life. Somewhere we forgot that it is us versus them. We are not supposed to trust the government. But yet we trust them to get deeper and deeeper into our private lives. People are the greater good not the government. This is a lesson I hope we learn quickly.
Legalize It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
how about you (fox news) start reporting facts and not what your told to report and people wouldn’t need to be internet so called trolls! sorry we want the truth!
I take 6 lortabs 2 Lyrica and 4 Diazepam a day for a cronic pain that can’t be fixed. I know this is going to kill my liver. all my friends say that if I could try Marijuana it would help with the pain and I could get off the pain meds. that will cause more problems than Marijuana. but if I try it They will stop my meds. fox news need to report the facts about the research for cronic pain.
I love the family guy show
Legalize it!!!
http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory SEND YOUR REQUEST TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA!! im one of millions of americans that want legalize please
send your request im working with norml and many others to change this law!!!
I guess I missed this on Fox News; as I have a couple other channels that give me my daily yearning for news. I also did not renew my subscription to WIRED. I may not have know the reason at the time, but I know what it is now. Thanks WIRED, but no thanks.
Dave, Morgantgown, WV
WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for forex factory eur
usd