Good point. My argument was really about proving causality, which is always problematic. When writing the article, I actually typed out the sentence "Causality's a bitch," but then I thought better of it and deleted it.

You're right -- given enough data, it wouldn't matter what the politician's stance was, because you could draw some conclusions about turnout and how the vote went. My point was that it would be a lot easier to do so in a race where the politicians had taken a stand, because it wouldn't be disputed by anyone (battles about causality in elections rage, on a number of issues).

But you're right -- I made the point poorly, with too sweeping a statement.

Mea culpa.

-CW

Current Events evidence to the contrary.. :D

How can it be worse than our current society of drunks in suits (and behind the wheels of cars).

Be careful what you wish for.. :D

Michale

In OR out of suits...

How can it be worse than our current society of drunks in suits (and behind the wheels of cars).
Stoners are also, as a rule, less aggressive than drunks.

Why? The hypothesized mechanism has nothing to do with the candidate's position on Prohibition: people sometimes vote, and sometimes don't; if they do vote, it's well-nigh guaranteed that a large and stable percentage of them will vote the way their group always does (if it votes at all), almost no matter who the candidate is and almost no matter what he or she says; if there's an initiative on the ballot, different numbers of people from various demographic slices will vote, than would have without the ballot question. The candidate's position on any particular issue, or even whether the candidate is a member of Homo sapiens sapiens or Canis lupus familiaris luteus, doesn't enter into it.

Maybe it's the cop in me, but I just fail to see the attraction of a society of stoners..

In OR out of suits...

Michale

of all the potential negative ad money in the hands of corporate institutions that depend on NeoProhibition for their cash flow.

...waiting for the people to lead, so they can then follow."

The Marijuana movement needs to demonstrate to Democrats that it is no longer a guerrilla political movement. It needs to thinking and act as a full fledged corporation with tremendous growth potential. More suits, fewer stoners. Or at least stoners in suits. Oh, the horror!

If only someone would man up and issue an apology for false accusations...

"If only... If only...."
-Hades, HERCULES

:D

Michale