Mike Gravel in Reason magazine

On Drugs: Proposed a Constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana

The former senator is proposing a constitutional amendment to remove marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, thus legalizing it recreationally on the federal level. It's an unconventional approach to drug reform befitting of an unconventional presidential candidate, but Gravel argues that it would be the easiest way given the current congressional gridlock. Source: Reason magazine, articles on 2020 candidates Jul 12, 2019

On Principles & Values: 2008: YouTube political "video art" went viral

During his anti-war, anti-IRS, pro-direct-democracy presidential campaign of 2008, Gravel appeared in some of the most remarkable campaign spots of the 21st century (Gravel refused to call them ads). They came out in 2007, when YouTube was young and weird online political videos still felt novel.

So it stood out when Gravel released The Rock, a satori-inducing clip in which the former senator stares silently at the camera for more than a minute, then turns, heaves a rock into a body of water, watches it splash, and walks away.

Or Fire, which begins with some brief footage of the candidate hiking through the woods before settling in for a Warholian seven-minute shot of the blaze.

But the best Gravel video, the one that truly captures the late-hippie ethos of the campaign, is a mash-up of John Lennon, and Duck and Cover [entitled "power to the people vs give peace a chance"]. It made me feel like voting for the guy, and I say that as someone who never feels like voting for anyone:

Source: Reason Magazine on 2020 Democratic primary YouTube video Mar 22, 2019

The above quotations are from Columns and news articles in Reason magazine. Click here for other excerpts from Columns and news articles in Reason magazine. Click here for other excerpts by Mike Gravel. Click here for a profile of Mike Gravel.
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