Nothing is a done deal here and supporters are going to have to work hard indeed to avoid erosion in support in the face of what promises to be a well-funded and intense anti-initiative campaign by institutional foes (whatever their personal agendas are).
Excerpts:
“Utahns are split over whether an LDS Church legal analysis criticizing the initiative leads them more to support the initiative, or turns them away.
The survey for UtahPolicy.com by Dan Jones & Associates shows church support or opposition to a public issue is a two-edged sword: It leads faithful Mormons toward their church’s position but drives away non-Mormons.
The church released a legal analysis by [the church’s] private law firm Kirton McConkie.
The survey asked whether the analysis (which raises 31 questions [suggesting] the initiative is a bad idea) makes them more or less likely to support the initiative:
40 percent said it makes them ‘much more’ or ‘somewhat more’ likely to support the initiative. (In other words, does just the opposite of what church leaders want.)
While 41 percent said the analysis makes them LESS likely to support the initiative. (Which is what church leaders desire.)
20 percent said they don’t know. Likely many in this group had never heard of the analysis before the question.
Jones [also] found a huge 72 percent of Utahns support the initiative.
And found 59 percent of ‘very active’ Mormons support the initiative. Or, in other words, are going against their church leadership.
However, as one might expect, Jones finds ‘very active’ Mormons are more open to their leader’s legal analysis – and thus changing their minds on the initiative – than are other religious groups.
For example:
56 percent of ‘very active’ Mormons said the analysis – which concludes there are numerous problems with the initiative – make it more likely they will NOT support the initiative.
But a fourth (24 percent) of ‘very active’ Mormons said the church’s analysis actually made them MORE likely to support the initiative.
One may guess why but it’s likely these [members who] don’t like their church leaders getting involved in this political question – may actually resent the church’s stand.
That certainly appears to be the case with other religious groups – the LDS Church’s opposition to the initiative makes them MORE likely to support it.”
Here’s Libertas Institute’s point-by-point refutation of this so-called “legal analysis”: https://ift.tt/2IF2BxB
We’re for medical cannabis on scientific and humanitarian grounds, not religious ones and find bringing in this issue only muddies those waters. We urge you to keep sharing the facts in our smaller, but vitally important person to person network.
#MMJ #UTpol #Poll #UtahNext #TRUCE
See full article – Poll shows Utahns are divided by LDS Church opposition to medical marijuana ballot initiative
