Well, depending on your political leanings, this week could have gone one of two ways. No. 1: You were happy Tuesday night. No. 2: You have or will start drinking to forget and not stop until the 2016 election season. So, with that in mind, here’s your politics-never-stop edition of...
Darts & Laurels
Comedian and “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart is known for his biting sarcasm and his critiques of elected officials on both sides of the political spectrum. Unfortunately, Stewart made a rare comedic misstep during an appearance on CNN when he said he did not plan to vote in the midterm elections because he “just moved.” “I don’t even know where my thing is now,” he said. Stewart later apologized for his flippant and strange remarks. It’s clear from his apology that Stewart did not intend for his remarks to be taken seriously. However, believe it or not, Jon Stewart and his Comedy Central counterpart Stephen Colbert are two of the most trusted names in American media. When Stewart talks about not voting, many people — particularly American youth — might very well take him seriously. A rare-miss DART to Jon Stewart.
Stewart could probably learn a lesson from 97-year-old Minnesota resident Chenyi Pan. She immigrated to the U.S. in 2009 and obtained her citizenship a few months ago. The Huffington Post recently profiled Pan’s preparations to vote in the midterm elections. In an interview, Pan said that she feels “honored to be a citizen and to be able to vote in the American election.” In a time when voter turnout is reaching all-time lows, it’s refreshing to see someone so enthusiastic about exercising her right to cast a ballot. A setting-an-example LAUREL to Chenyi Pan.
On Tuesday, Florida voters rejected Amendment 2, which would have legalized marijuana for medical uses. Other votes on similar measures around the country demonstrate how far behind Florida is on this issue. Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia all voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use, not just in cases of medical necessity. Meanwhile, voters in Guam approved a measure similar to the one in Florida, making it the first U.S. territory to legalize medical marijuana. Hopefully, the Sunshine State will catch up to the rest of the country soon — but with Republican domination of the state government, don’t count on it. We’re giving a show-us-the-way-to-legal-pot LAUREL to voters everywhere but in Florida.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 11/7/2014]
