What Went Down In The Second GOP Debate

Ending mass incarceration was once a predominantly liberal issue, but it’s increasingly drawing bipartisan support. Conservatives worry about the high cost of locking up millions; libertarians worry about state overreach; and progressives worry about the impact on minority communities. One thing that was interesting about Rand Paul’s answer, though, was that he justified his position on explicitly social justice grounds. The data backs him up: The people locked up for drug crimes are disproportionately poor men of color. As my colleague Oliver Roeder has written, however, ending mass incarceration will require far more than releasing nonviolent drug offenders.

If you believe the polls, most Republicans haven’t lit up a joint. According to a recent Gallup survey, only 31 percent of Republicans say they’ve done the doobie. Moreover, only 36 percent of Republicans in an April 2015 Fox News poll were in favor of legalizing marijuana.