... about a smart Republican Marijuana Strategy

I think it would be a smart move on the part of Republicans to embrace at least this one aspect of Ron Paul's libertarianism and state's rights fight even if goes against their grain - POT. The federal government, both parties, do not let go of anything they get their hands on whether it makes Constitutional sense or not. For instance, education IS CONSTITUTIONALLY A STATE ISSUE, but both parties are intent on federalizing it one way (forced privatization) or another (giving money with provisos that weaken local control). On THIS issue, if the Republicans were smart, they could take the truth and own it. The drug war is an expensive, catastrophic failure. Marijuana is everywhere and always will be. Let the states make their own decisions. You get 50 experiments that way and one of them will work. The Democrats are trying to appeal to the religious right and other punishment freaks, a VERY SMALL group for them that they can TRY to convince to vote their way. Forget about it! The Republicans outsmarted you on that LONG ago. Appeal to your young base AND libertarians who you have a chance of winning over and getting to the polls, fools (I mean this is the party that lost the Kennedy Senate seat). You don't have enough on your hands successfully fighting the war on terror, upholding voting rights, improving the economy, winning in November? Oh, ok, then, Dems. Bust the free the weed movement. Lose for another generation. The smokers will still get their pot and you will still be hypocrites because tobacco and booze are the real killers. And Republicans will have busted (pun intended) down the doors that lead to STATE control of education (very little), STATE health laws (don't get sick), GUN laws (pack some heat everywhere esp. to the polls), etc. Oh, and they will collect a LOT of tax dollars and create a new tourist industry. Go for it Mitt! Pick Rand Paul as your running mate.