One page from a "poll" conducted with 400 people throughout the state reflect the following image by region.
The conservative group calling for a drug-free Montana (funded by alcohol and tobacco companies so that repealing marijuana prohibition doesn’t threaten their bottom line) hired a PR firm that was started by two by republican to come up with a ‘poll’ favoring repealing the will of the voters.
To repeal the medical marijuana law in Montana, Safe Community Safe Kids called in a favor to 47 Degrees North Communications, who in turn called 400 people, called it a poll, and then called it a day.
47 Degrees North Communications was started by a couple of republicans and are no strangers to the public, and not in a good light.
Sources reveal the communications company is a “consulting firm run by Jake Eaton and Dustin Frost.  Who can forget Eaton, who also landed in U.S. District Court for trying to suppress the votes of 6,000 Montanans in 2008.”
With his tail between his legs, Eaton resigned, left Montana, then came back hoping nobody would notice.
And Frost? Â Dustin Frost was the state director for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg until a drinking accident on Flathead Lake brought controversy to Rehberg.
So are we supposed to trust numbers from these guys?  Their math doesn’t even add up.
Among a small sample of 400 “likely voters” polled, 46% identified themselves as Republicans, 36% as Democrats and 14% independents.  Not only does this only add up to 96%, it’s also inconsistent with traditional polling numbers in Montana.  A recent poll by Public Policy Polling identified a whopping 32% of Montanans as independents.”
——————————————————————-
In contrast, the Wall Street Journal identified Public Policy Polling as one of the two most accurate companies in the country.
——————————————————————-
Here’s your margin of error for a poll of 400 “likely” voters, presuming that the poll didn’t use loaded questions or stack it’s respondents in the parts of the state most likely to support the point of view that’s bought and paid for.
“The sampling was small – just 400 likely voters – so the margin of error is 4.65 percent…”
——————————————————————-
PPP pegged the results of Prop 19 in California:
Public Policy Polling said in a press release that “Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana in California, appears to be headed for defeat. 51% of voters say they will oppose it to only 44% who plan to cast a yes vote. There appeared to be solid support for this measure over the summer but its popularity has faded as the election has moved closer.”
——————————————————————-
If repeal happens that there will be another initiative on the 2012 ballot. Arizona overrode the will of the people in 1996 on this very same issue.
In 1998 the Arizona Legislature was stripped of its ability to override a ballot initiative by simple majority, and now requires a 75% supermajority to change laws passed by ballot initiative.
The stakes that the enemies of freedom are gambling on this issue are frighteningly high, and for almost no return should they win.
The enemies of freedom would be well advised to negotiate in good faith to implement common sense restrictions, rather than trying to strip medicine from the 374 cardholders that are older than age 70. Which of the enemies of freedom will visit the 11 nonagenarians in the program and say “sorry grandpa, we think it more important to make the malingering patients buy their pot from black market cannabis vendors than to allow you your needed medicine?
Or are we going to here that 70, 80,or 90 something patients are “scamming” the program?
This piece is a compilation written by folks on the ground in Montana.
