The drug war did not have a prominent place in the presidential campaigns this year. But given how the federal coffers are being drained in response to the current economic mess, both candidates might be interested to see some numbers from a September Zogby poll of likely voters who were asked about the war on drugs.
A full three quarters of likely voters said the war on drugs is failing. Not only that, but 28% said the best single way to handle the war on drugs is "legalizing some drugs in the U.S."
The next president should take heed -- there's a lot of money to be saved here! Cutting back on budget-sucking, ineffective programs like eradication in South America, while taxing and regulating marijuana, would be a winning plan at a time when voters are really going to appreciate the government getting smarter about spending.
You can check out the poll question yourself on the Zogby site (
PDF).
Posted by Megan Farrington