The Bright Silver Linings On the Edge of the Election

Rocky mountain highs will legal in Washington and Colorado.

For libertarians, it can be frustrating to watch elections: no matter which party wins, all to often, we lose. The same was true of this year, as President Obama was ushered into a second term by voters.

But it wasn’t all bad: good news trickled in from across the country tonight, from ballot initiatives on marriage equality and marijuana. These results herald the beginning of the end for legal discrimination against homosexuals and marijuana prohibition in the United States.

• Massachusetts has voted to legalize medical marijuana.
• Washington State has voted to legalize marijuana entirely.
• Colorado has voted to legalize marijuana entirely.
  

  People in Maryland, Maine, and Washington all voted, for the first time ever in the US, to legalize same-sex marriage.

• Minnesota has voted against a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
• Maryland has voted to legalize same-sex marriage.
• Maine has voted to legalize same-sex marriage
• Washington State has also voted to legalize same-sex marriage.

A measure in Oregon to legalize marijuana failed 45% to 55%, and a measure in Arkansas to legalize medical cannabis failed by a narrow margin. Californians unfortunately voted against repealing the state’s death penalty but crushed a nanny-state proposal to require GM foods to have special labeling. Los Angeles County, however, passed its own nanny-state initiative to require condoms in porn made in LA.

The other good news is that the Democrats retain control of the Senate and the GOP will keep control of the House, which, combined with the president’s reelection, means the return of sweet, sweet gridlock. Gary Johnson looks like he will come in with a disappointing ~1%, but given how close the election was, he may very well have cost the GOP the White House. To which we say: well done, America. For once, well done indeed.