Marijuana Divides the Tea Party

As marijuana legalization moves closer to being a legitimate political topic, the issue could divide the Tea Party along its libertarian and social conservative lines, says The Atlantic. “Marijuana legalization has gained steam in the last year and a half, and it’s becoming an issue in multiple states. … The issues at play happen to mesh perfectly with the Tea Party’s extant ideological divides. Beneath the movement’s strict focus on fiscal matters, libertarianism and social conservatism are the two dominant leanings that most readily oppose each other. The Tea Party is an amalgam of Ron Paul supporters and libertarians, mixed in with disaffected Bush voters whose personal views are grounded firmly in social conservatism.”