Cuomo Out to be the Millennial Candidate in 2016?

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, with the support of Mayor Palpatine Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Kelly, will request the the legislature decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in order to mitigate the disproportionate affect the city's "stop and frisk" policy has on young minorities. The possession of less than 25 grams of marijuana would be a violation, almost like having an open container, rather than a misdemeanor; i.e., you get a ticket rather than going to jail. Clearly this is a good policy but does not do enough to counter the many problems with stop and frisk and certainly does nothing to fight marijuana's ludicrous classification as a schedule 1 drug. Nonetheless, I like what Governor Cuomo is doing here. Whether he meant to or not, he's clearly differentiating self from "No Soda Nanny" Bloomberg in how he is deciding to leave his NYC legacy.

When one considers this latest legislative move by Cuomo in light of his push for the recognition of gay marriage, it is hard to believe that Governor Cuomo is not setting himself up for a 2016 run as the candidate of the mostlikely newly economically powerful and more mature millennial generation. It is a beautiful political play as, between his continuously rising favorability numbers and the support of the Bloomberg/Kelly duo, he's basically bulletproof here. State GOP can attempt to call him soft on crime, but that is pretty hard to pull off when you have the Mayor and the Commish in your corner. So he has no political liability and gets to ease off of another law that millennials find ridiculous... illegality of marijuana. Impressive anyway you look at it.

I actually hope Cuomo does run as he seems to be really cutting his teeth as Governor and I think he'll be ripe by the time 2016 comes around. He has strong political ideas and ideals and I know many a millennial who will support his sensible policies.

Quick Mini Rant:

Please indulge me briefly. Or don't and just stop reading here. It's my rant and I'll do what I want to. How EFF'N RIDICULOUS is it that marijuana is still considered a schedule 1 drug? Just so we are all on the same page, here is the DEA's definition and examples of a schedule 1 drug:

Substances in this schedule have a high potential for abuse, have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

Some examples of substances listed in schedule I are: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), peyote, methaqualone, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (“ecstasy”).

Really? REHHEAAALLLYY? Take a look at that list and please tell me which one doesn't belong. And which one of those is the scientific name for cocaine again? Oh wait, it is not on there because it is a schedule 2 drug because of it's medical benefits! Please read this whole rant again. We can have medical cocaine, but not medical marijuana without state DEA's, ostensibly with the implicit okay of President Obama, busting things up. Because that make sense.

UGH... I need to go smoke a joi pack of cigarettes and nail back a fifth of whiskey. Legally.

Image: NY Daily News