Chris Christie on Treating Addicts

[Pointedstick]

I've never been much of a fan of Chris Christie, but that was a pretty mind-blowing thing to hear a politician say. Along with his forceful denunciation of government regulation of fantasy football during the last debate, it's almost like he's caught the libertarian bug.

[MachineGhost]

The bolded statement above is why I have a big problem with some parts of the Republican and Democratic parties, large parts of Libertarianism, and all of anarcho-capitalism.  Too focused on money and efficiency and too little on people.

People have to evolve first; its not a political ideology's fault.  Most people -- certainly conservatives near or on Wall Street -- still have the selfish, self-centric, winner-take-all shareholder view of reality, not a community stakeholder.  The Millennial generation is changing that anarchronistic viewpoint, both with their money and technology.

Christie is like Fiorina in that anecdotal personal experience has made him emotionalyl repressed.  They both falsely think marijuana is dangerous and a gateway drug, hence they don't support decriminalization or legalization.

I don't know why Christie doesn't get any traction.  He seems like a genuine guy otherwise.  Less of a political whore than a get it done type.

[Pointedstick]

I don't know why Christie doesn't get any traction.  He seems like a genuine guy otherwise.  Less of a political whore than a get it done type.

http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pol ... ubio,Trump

The polls would seem to say that the more voters learned about him, the less they liked him, same with Paul, Huckabee, and Rubio.

[Libertarian666]

I've never been much of a fan of Chris Christie, but that was a pretty mind-blowing thing to hear a politician say. Along with his forceful denunciation of government regulation of fantasy football during the last debate, it's almost like he's caught the libertarian bug.

Other than wanting to throw everyone in jail for using pot, sure.

[MachineGhost]

The polls would seem to say that the more voters learned about him, the less they liked him, same with Paul, Huckabee, and Rubio.

And yet Carson becomes the annointed son of Fox News and skyrockets?  Maybe there is a correlation between voter popularity and media attention?

Voters, my dear Watson, are stupid sheep.

Of course, the real problem is conservative voters don't like RINO's that Kasich, Christie and Pataki represent.  Any common sense social moderation is a death sentence.  Trump's only making it because he's changed his positions to the right over time.

It sure would be nice to eject the Religious Right from the Republican Party.

[MachineGhost]

How have the voters learned about Paul? He almost never gets to speak in the "debates".

The media treatment of him has always been rather unfair, but it is what it is.  Maybe he should become a Master Wizard like Trump!

[moda0306]

I've never been much of a fan of Chris Christie, but that was a pretty mind-blowing thing to hear a politician say. Along with his forceful denunciation of government regulation of fantasy football during the last debate, it's almost like he's caught the libertarian bug.

After hearing that I really want to believe he is sincere. But I don't think Christie is any threat to the war on drugs.

But man... Powerful story. Scary, scary stuff. The idea that anyone could be one injury away from a life-crippling addiction is pretty terrifying.

Here's a good piece by Johann Hari on addiction. He has longer discussions too. If it's true it's pretty crazy stuff.

https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_e ... anguage=en

[Greg]

Related-ish:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... story.html

[MachineGhost]

Go Ohio!

[quote=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/ ... 6820151102]Ohio voters will decide Tuesday on whether to become the first Midwestern state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, though a rival ballot measure could kill the law before it takes effect.

Issue 3 would add an amendment to the state constitution that legalizes both personal and medical use of marijuana for those over 21 years old.

The ballot initiative was the result of a campaign that gathered more than 300,000 valid voter signatures from around the state.

If it passes, Ohio would become the fifth, and largest, state to legalize the recreational usage of marijuana, following Alaska, Colorado, Washington and Oregon, as well as the District of Columbia.[/quote]

[MachineGhost]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... story.html

Sad, but it looks like the effects of two equity bubbles popping, offshoring and technological unemployment are finally starting to seen.  This is very Japan like.

[Fred]

I thought I heard Christie say that if he was elected the marijuana smokers in Colorado and Oregon better watch out because he would be coming after them.

[MediumTex]

I thought I heard Christie say that if he was elected the marijuana smokers in Colorado and Oregon better watch out because he would be coming after them.

Talk about a buzz kill! 

Too bad John Denver isn't still around--a Christie/Denver Celebrity Deathmatch would be awesome.

[Libertarian666]

I thought I heard Christie say that if he was elected the marijuana smokers in Colorado and Oregon better watch out because he would be coming after them.

You are not imagining that. I heard him say that too.
What a scumbag. (Christie, of course, not you.)

[MachineGhost]

Too bad John Denver isn't still around--a Christie/Denver Celebrity Deathmatch would be awesome.

What happened to John Denver?

[MachineGhost]

He was killed in a Celebrity Deathmatch.

Liar, liar, pants on fire!!!  Wow, I didn't know he wasn't still around.  I thought he had just faded from the limelight, like disco.

Denver was an avid pilot, and died in a single-fatality crash of his personal experimental aircraft at the age of 53.

[WiseOne]

I've never been much of a fan of Chris Christie, but that was a pretty mind-blowing thing to hear a politician say. Along with his forceful denunciation of government regulation of fantasy football during the last debate, it's almost like he's caught the libertarian bug.

I'm curious about why Christie hasn't gained more traction in the Republican field.  This isn't the first time he's said something like this - not the topic, but the fact that he has real, well-grounded opinions and is not the usual collection of sound bites.

I might have put him higher on my candidate list if it weren't for "Bridge-gate".  Not so much for the actual event, for which his direct involvement is both unlikely and impossible to prove, but because he apparently surrounded himself with a bunch of thugs who were clearly acting without adult supervision.  This is probably the President's most important duty, so a failure here is a fatal flaw in my book.

[MediumTex]

I've never been much of a fan of Chris Christie, but that was a pretty mind-blowing thing to hear a politician say. Along with his forceful denunciation of government regulation of fantasy football during the last debate, it's almost like he's caught the libertarian bug.

I'm curious about why Christie hasn't gained more traction in the Republican field.  This isn't the first time he's said something like this - not the topic, but the fact that he has real, well-grounded opinions and is not the usual collection of sound bites.

I might have put him higher on my candidate list if it weren't for "Bridge-gate".  Not so much for the actual event, for which his direct involvement is both unlikely and impossible to prove, but because he apparently surrounded himself with a bunch of thugs who were clearly acting without adult supervision.  This is probably the President's most important duty, so a failure here is a fatal flaw in my book.

I think that Republican politicians from New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts are not taken seriously for national office because it is assumed that the compromises they must make to get elected at home would disqualify them from success in the Republican primaries in other states.

I'm thinking Pataki, Christie, Giuliani, and Romney.

I know that Romney actually got the nomination and lost, but Romney was the weakest Republican presidential nominee I think we will see in our lifetimes.  He had absolutely no chance to win, and I can't believe the Republican establishment didn't understand that.

[WiseOne]

I think that Republican politicians from New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts are not taken seriously for national office because it is assumed that the compromises they must make to get elected at home would disqualify them from success in the Republican primaries in other states.

Or because they're assumed to be steeped in corruption?  That they most certainly are.

Wondering why this wouldn't apply to politicians from Illinois though.  I absolutely loved Jon Stewart's one liner about how a murderer is statistically less likely to go to prison than a governor of Illinois.  (Oh how I miss the Daily Show.)

Agree about Romney though.  The Republicans couldn't possibly have done worse.

[MediumTex]

I think that Republican politicians from New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts are not taken seriously for national office because it is assumed that the compromises they must make to get elected at home would disqualify them from success in the Republican primaries in other states.

Or because they're assumed to be steeped in corruption?  That they most certainly are.

I assume all politicians are corrupt.  It's genetic.

Wondering why this wouldn't apply to politicians from Illinois though.  I absolutely loved Jon Stewart's one liner about how a murderer is statistically less likely to go to prison than a governor of Illinois.  (Oh how I miss the Daily Show.)

It would apply to a Republican from Illinois.

Agree about Romney though.  The Republicans couldn't possibly have done worse.

Yep.  Romney candidacy was in many ways designed to lose.  I can't believe anyone was surprised when he lost.

Seriously, who came up with the idea of running a guy who implemented an Obamacare-like system in his state when the ONE killer issue the Republicans had in that cycle was opposition to Obamacare?  Stupid.

[MachineGhost]

I know that Romney actually got the nomination and lost, but Romney was the weakest Republican presidential nominee I think we will see in our lifetimes.  He had absolutely no chance to win, and I can't believe the Republican establishment didn't understand that.

Better than McCain!  But Trump pwns them all.

[MediumTex]

I know that Romney actually got the nomination and lost, but Romney was the weakest Republican presidential nominee I think we will see in our lifetimes.  He had absolutely no chance to win, and I can't believe the Republican establishment didn't understand that.

Better than McCain!  But Trump pwns them all.

Deep down, I think that Romney was probably a pretty nice guy.  No real killer instinct.  Just a rich kid with great looks and a sweet personality who glided through life like Richard Cory, sans the bullet to the head.

While Trump is also sort of a pompous rich kid, he does seem to have real street fighting instincts.  I love that cartoonish bulldog lawyer he has who talks about ripping off heads and shitting down necks.  Maybe he can be the Secretary of State.

[Libertarian666]

I've never been much of a fan of Chris Christie, but that was a pretty mind-blowing thing to hear a politician say. Along with his forceful denunciation of government regulation of fantasy football during the last debate, it's almost like he's caught the libertarian bug.

I'm curious about why Christie hasn't gained more traction in the Republican field.  This isn't the first time he's said something like this - not the topic, but the fact that he has real, well-grounded opinions and is not the usual collection of sound bites.

I might have put him higher on my candidate list if it weren't for "Bridge-gate".  Not so much for the actual event, for which his direct involvement is both unlikely and impossible to prove, but because he apparently surrounded himself with a bunch of thugs who were clearly acting without adult supervision.  This is probably the President's most important duty, so a failure here is a fatal flaw in my book.

He surrounded himself with a bunch of thugs because he is a thug.

Oh, and by the way, he has consistently lied about when he was appointed Attorney General. It wasn't on 9/10/01, it was on 12/7/01 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Chr ... ppointment). It's impossible for this to be an honest mistake, so he's just a liar.