The enormous and unwieldy field for the 2020 Democratic primaries is simply tripping over themselves in order to put forth the most politically engaging message of the election. Oftentimes, this includes some radical rhetoric, and this week was no exception.
Up until this point, perhaps the wildest idea to come out of the 2020 Democratic primary has come from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who told a debate audience that he would support allowing convicted felons to vote, even while incarcerated. When pushed about this issue, Bernie was forced to admit that yes, even terrorists would be included.
This week, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg may have one-upped the venerable wacko Sanders with a plan to decriminalize drugs.
All of them.
2020 candidate Pete Buttigieg said in a Friday interview that he would decriminalize all drugs, not just marijuana.
“Incarceration should not even be a response to drug possession,” Buttigieg told the Des Moines Register.
Pressed by the editor of the outlet, who asked, “Is that across the board? So if it’s meth or coke or ecstasy — any drugs, if it’s possession, incarceration isn’t . . .” Buttigieg interjected, “That’s right.”
The idea of treating drug addiction as a healthcare issue is growing in popularity here in the United States, after a series of long-term studies showed that simply incarcerating an individual for using these substances does nothing but complicate their future, making them more likely to fall back into these habits.
Buttigieg, who is considered to be a moderate in the race, will certainly be called to defend this statement in the not-so-distant future as the centrist bloc of the Democratic voter base shudders in fear of his moving left.
