If elected will Obama or McCain end the War on Drugs?

I feel the War on Drugs will soon be a thing of the past soon after anyone of the candidates win the presidency.

I feel if Obama wins he will end this war on the grounds of appealing to his base, the African American. Our prison population is the largest in the world and the majority of the population in prison are African Americans, and if he does win and wants to have a 2nd term he will need to back up his words about "change" and doing this would be a huge change.

McCain has always been a moderate and there is also a good chance he would end this war, but for other reasons than Obama, I think he would end it based on economic factors, our country is broke and the next few presidents will have to make budget cuts.

What say you?

LDF

reply to post by LDragonFire


The war on drugs continues?

I honestly, truthfully, thought we gave up on that one

California sure has.


on topic:

I dont think they will until the American people want them to.

If the masses wanted to shoot up and insert intravenously, we'd be allowed to.

Look at alcohol.

It used to be illegal.

d This was one of the reason that I really liked Ron Paul.

My biggest issue is the Federal Government stating that States can't allow individuals to use medical marijuana for medical reasons. This should be mandated by the state and not by the Federal Government.

Imagine the impact if we ended the war on drugs. Who do you think is really benefiting from the "war on drugs". Let me tell you, the same people who came up with this stupid idea about war on drugs and war on terror.

If we ended the war on drugs can you imaging the impact. People would have to go and work instead of selling drugs. You cant find work? go back to school and educate yourself. If the war on drugs ended it would destroy the drug economy that funds these gangs, terrorist and drug cartels. Violence in Inner cities would be reduced.

On Drugs: Inner-city minorities are punished unfairly in war on drugs

Q: What policy would you support to guarantee young Black and Latino men a fairer equal justice system?

A: A system designed to protect individual liberty will have no punishments for any group and no privileges. Today, I think inner-city folks and minorities are punished unfairly in the war on drugs. For instance, Blacks make up 14% of those who use drugs, yet 36 percent of those arrested are Blacks and it ends up that 63% of those who finally end up in prison are Blacks. This has to change. We don't have to have more courts and more prisons. We need to repeal the whole war on drugs. It isn't working. We have already spent over $400 billion since the early 1970s, and it is wasted money. Prohibition didn't work. Prohibition on drugs doesn't work. So we need to come to our senses. And, absolutely, it's a disease. We don't treat alcoholics like this. This is a disease, and we should orient ourselves to this. That is one way you could have equal justice under the law.

Who do I think will end the war on drugs.

Obama and Mccain Views on the war on Drugs
Barack Obama on Drugs

* Look at needle exchange; and expand treatment. (Feb 2008)
* Fight to rid our communities of meth. (Feb 2008)
* Expand drug courts; help prisoners with substance abuse. (Feb 2008)
* 2001: questions harsh penalties for drug dealing. (Oct 2007)
* Not first candidate to use drugs, but first honest about it. (Oct 2007)
* Do not lower drinking age from 21 to 18. (Sep 2007)
* Experimented with coc aine but turned down heroin. (Aug 2007)
* A "secret smoker", especially around reporters. (Aug 2007)
* Smokes cigarettes now; smoked some pot in high school. (Feb 2007)
* Admitted marijuana use in high school & college. (Jan 2007)
* Deal with street-level drug dealing as minimum-wage affair. (Oct 2006) * Understand why youngsters want to use drugs. (Aug 1996)
* Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use. (Sep 2007)

John McCain on Drugs

* Mexico should extradite drug dealers to the US. (Mar 2007)
* Administration is AWOL on the war on drugs. (Mar 2000)
* Public/private partnerships for drug treatment. (Jan 2000)
* Prevention & education apply to alcohol as well as marijuana. (Oct 1999)
* We’re losing drug war - just say no. (Oct 1999)
* $1B for detection equipment for more border interdiction. (Mar 1999)
* Mexico: balancing act between free trade & stopping drugs. (Mar 1999)
* Restrict methadone treatment programs. (Feb 1999)
* Stricter penalties; stricter enforcement. (Jul 1998)
* Voted YES on spending international development funds on drug control. (Jul 1996)
* Sponsored bill on drug testing for major league sports. (May 2005)
* Sponsored bill for grants to Indian tribes to fight meth. (Dec 2006)

I think Obama would do better with dealing with the War on Drugs. I say dealing with as I don't believe he will get rid of it.

Originally posted by LDragonFire
I feel the War on Drugs will soon be a thing of the past soon after anyone of the candidates win the presidency.

I feel if Obama wins he will end this war on the grounds of appealing to his base, the African American. Our prison population is the largest in the world and the majority of the population in prison are African Americans, and if he does win and wants to have a 2nd term he will need to back up his words about "change" and doing this would be a huge change.

McCain has always been a moderate and there is also a good chance he would end this war, but for other reasons than Obama, I think he would end it based on economic factors, our country is broke and the next few presidents will have to make budget cuts.

What say you?

LDF

Hello LDragonFire,
Sadly, I disagree. Neither candidate will have the power or will to abolish the war on drugs entirely. The forces keeping certain drugs illegal are strong, like cement.

Obama would foster policies that would move us toward de-criminalization of pot, etc. and fixing our wretched prison industrial complex. McCain would add more to cement to current policies and things would only get worse under his "leadership." Be sure of one thing: the people that profit from U.S. prisoners are bankrolling the Arizona senator's campaign.

Perhaps this election year we can ask the two candidates what they think of CIA plains crashing with tones of coke on them .

Originally posted by Max_TO
Perhaps this election year we can ask the two candidates what they think of CIA plains crashing with tones of coke on them .

Personally, I think CIA plains crashing would be a stunning visual.

And I can't even imagin what tones of coke would be like...

I'm sure it's deep.

If you want to ask someone who probably knows a thing or two about serious drug trafficking (in the S.E.), ask Bill and Hillary Clinton.

As for anyone else, who knows?

JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS !!!

It drives down the price....

Neither will do anything signicant.

The "war on drugs" profits too many people including every little town and county across the US. They confiscate property and it allows them to buy all sorts of new toys that the taxpayers don't have to pay for.

I saw a show on PBS a few years back that covered a small Oregon county. The Sherrif said that without those funds, he'd be going back to two deputies and one car. As it was, he had 8 full time and 4 part time deputies and a new fleet of 7 cars. Plus a brand new one for himself that he drove home.

They aren't going to touch that one. Bigger fish to fry out there.