November 8, 2012--Weed

In descending levels of magnitude, the folks who reelected Barack Obama are--

Women (he got 55 percent of their vote)

African Americans (he received 93 percent of their vote)

Latinos (he won 80 percent of their vote)

Voters younger than 30 (Obama secured 60 percent of their vote)

Unless Republicans figure out how to appeal to these constituencies, they will be relegated to marginal status for decades since each of these cohorts is growing as a percentage of the total population, especially Latinos. For example, 50,000 Latinos a month are turning 18.

Somewhat less noted in the post-election analyses were the votes in Maine and Maryland to legalize same-sex marriage and the votes in Colorado and Washington State to legalize marijuana.

Prior to to the vote this week to allow gays to marry, 30 states had referenda on their ballots and in every instance voters rejected the proposition.

And until the cannabis votes in Washington and Colorado, in all cases where its use was approved it is strictly for medicinal purposes, even though this has been widely ignored and it is rather easy to buy weed in, say, California for recreational purposes. But now, voters determined, in Colorado and Washington anyone older than 21 for any reason will be allowed to buy small quantities of marijuana.

Thus, on further reflection, it may be that the election of 2012 will turn out to have been as much about culture as the economy. This is not to dismiss concern about jobs and fiscal policy or not to see it as a referendum on Barack Obama's leadership or Mitt Romney's fitness to be commander and chief; but it will also likely signal that, again because of changing demographics, the culture war, like the one in Afghanistan, is finally winding down.

And though I do not know what was accomplished there, here, we are clearly living in a new, hopefully more tolerant America.