4 ms·
One answer to your question is probably "because he spent his limited political capital trying to ensure everyone in America had access to healthcare." Another
by dangerlibrary 4y ago
One answer to your question is probably "because he spent his limited political capital trying to ensure everyone in America had access to healthcare."
Another would be that he actually laid the groundwork for this kind of action. Obama made pursuing marijuana convictions the lowest possible priority for federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials [0], effectively saying "if states want to make weed legal, the federal government isn't going to do anything about it." After that, a number of states held referenda on legalizing weed, and most passed with broad support. This is the next logical step at the federal level - pardoning anyone who was convicted during that period and taking steps towards changing marijuana from a schedule 1 drug (where it has never belonged) to something more reasonable. [1] No president can fully legalize weed at the federal level, but they can reschedule it based on the actual cost/benefits to individuals and society.
Another more cynical answer is that Obama is black, and didn't want the legacy of the first black president to also be "the one who pardoned all the drug offenders"
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_policy_of_the_Barack_Obama_administration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_policy_of_the_Barack_...
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Substances_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Substances_Act
- googlryas 4y agoBut you don't need political capital to make a unilateral executive decision? He could have done this after he was already a lame duck. It's not like a president can undo a pardon.
- dangerlibrary 4y agoGood politicians do things they know will be popular. This isn't always a bad thing. Presidential actions can influence a lot of down-ballot races. For good or ill, both Obama and Biden are politicians, and only took the steps they felt would be popular with their constituents at the time.
- wk_end 4y agoHe'd be expending the political capital of his party. If he felt like this pardon would've made it harder for Democrats to get elected in 2016, that might be a reason why he didn't do it.
- sidewndr46 4y agoWon't someone think of the poor politicians?
- mywittyname 4y agoI want the politicians on my side thinking about how to get their party members elected.
- wk_end 4y agoThe question was "why didn't he do it?", not "should he have done it?".
- andirk 4y agoBecause he didn't want to. Why is this difficult for people to understand?
- P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y agoThe entire point of being a hero is unselfish risk.
- vkou 4y ago> But you don't need political capital to make a unilateral executive decision? You need political capital if you make that decision and don't want to be eviscerated in the next election.
- daguava 4y agoHe was already being publicly executed by half the country for wearing a tan suit while being black, he didn't have "old white dude" lines of political credit.
- tsol 4y agoThe first black president making weed legal would definitely be abused in headlines by multiple major news organizations
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]