Month of 01/Nov/2006 to 30/Nov/2006

On Election Day, Question 7 lost 44%-56%.

Although we are all disappointed that Question 7 didn't pass, we can all be proud in knowing that we've made remarkable progress. We've gained significant ground over Question 9, the 2002 marijuana regulation initiative, which lost 39%-61%. In fact, more than four in 10 Nevada voters actually voted to end marijuana prohibition entirely.

And we could never have made this progress without all of our supporters. I want to thank our wonderful staff, everyone who volunteered, everyone who cheered us on, and especially everyone who voted for Question 7. Your efforts were not in vain, and you helped us make a huge step forward.

Thank you, once again, for all you have done.

Sincerely,
Neal

From Question 7 Campaign Manager Neal Levine ...

Hello All,

This is it -- the final hour of the Question 7 campaign. Our troops are at the doors and the office is slammed with volunteers. GO VOTE if you live in Nevada, and if you already have or live somewhere else, please jump on the VAC and make calls. We need to mine for every vote we can get, and we need your help to do it.

Cheers,

Neal

Hello All,

We are getting multiple reports of polling locations packed with Question 7 supporters, and we are getting an incredible response at the doors and on the phones. It looks like our people are turning out!

Polls close in a little over 3 hours. PLEASE get out and vote Yes on 7, and then jump on the phone bank to help us push out the vote. History may only be a little more than 3 hours away...

Neal

From Question 7 Campaign Manager Neal Levine ...

Hello again,

The FOX and NBC affiliates covered me voting Yes on 7 this morning at my polling place. Turnout seems light, though -- which means your vote can really make a difference.

If you haven't made it to the polls yet, please get out there and vote Yes on 7! Also, it's not too late to volunteer today, if you have a couple of hours to spare. Please drop our Volunteer Coordinator, Krystal, a note right now and get plugged in -- or jump on the Volunteer Action Center and start making calls to Nevadans.

Also, don't forget to hang out with the CRCM crew tonight at the Empire Ballroom. Doors open at 7:15, and we hope you can make it.

Cheers,

Neal

From Question 7 Campaign Manager Neal Levine ...

Hello all,

We're close to reaching the halfway point on Election Day -- Nevadans have about 6 hours left to make it to the polls.

Our campaign staff and volunteers have been holding signs on street corners, making phone calls, and going door-to-door all morning to remind voters to turn out and say YES to Question 7.

If you're in Las Vegas, please come down to campaign headquarters at 5333 Arville Street, Suite 206 (Arville and Hacienda, just south of the Orleans Casino) and ask our Volunteer Coordinator, Krystal, what you can do to help.

If you're not in Las Vegas, please log into our Volunteer Action Center right now and hit the phones to make as many turnout calls as you can. We have over 3,200 more calls to make before 7:00 p.m.

Thank you again for all of your help -- but there is so much more to be done in the next 6 hours. We can't do it without you -- please help us pass Question 7 today!

Cheers,

Neal

The local Las Vegas CBS affiliate, KLAS-TV, presented a story on the last-minute push to get voters to the polls, and they featured CRCM's efforts to reach Question 7 supporters the day before the election. Watch our fantastic CRCM staffers as they work to bring out supporters to vote yes on Question 7 today.

On this Election Day, the filmmakers at Authentic Entertainment are offering another behind-the-scenes look at the Question 7 campaign. This morning's webisode focuses on the recent UNLV debate between CRCM Campaign Manager Neal Levine and Sandy Heverly of the Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable. Check it out here.

From Question 7 Campaign Manager Neal Levine ...

Hello all,

It's almost 21 hours until the polls close tomorrow, and we're cranking out volunteer packets here in the CRCM offices. All day tomorrow, our staff and volunteers will be heading to neighborhoods all over Nevada and knocking on the doors of Question 7 supporters. It's a simple and remarkably effective way to get our supporters to the polls -- but we need your help to make sure we reach each one. If you can come out to spend some time helping pass Question 7 on Election Day, we can really use your help. We've got lots to do, and we can't achieve victory at the polls without you.

Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Krystal, to find out what you can do. We're getting started at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, so please call or stop by the office anytime tomorrow if you can help.

Cheers,

Neal

P.S. KLAS-TV, the Las Vegas CBS affiliate, dropped by our office this evening to get an inside look at our headquarters on the last night of the campaign. It will be airing at 11:00 p.m. tonight on Channel 8, so be sure to check it out.

   

Three cheers for our fantastic volunteers -- you've helped us reach our goal of contacting 30,000 Nevadans in the final weeks of the campaign and reminding them to vote YES on Question 7!

With your help, we've contacted a huge portion of Nevada's voters over the past several months. And with Question 7 in a tightening race, every vote counts -- so we need every single supporter to get to the polls and vote tomorrow.

That's why we're setting a new goal for phone bank calls to supporters: We need to make 5,000 calls between now and the end of Election Day -- 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday -- to remind our supporters to get to the polls and vote YES on Question 7.

With your help and support, we can reach 5,000 more voters and tell them to vote yes on Question 7 tomorrow. Please hop on the phones and do your part to help end marijuana prohibition in Nevada -- it may make all the difference in passing Question 7!

CRCM has posted a new Web commercial titled "YesOn" -- a spoof of the popular "HeadOn" commercials -- to remind our supporters to vote yes on Question 7 tomorrow. Check it out here.

Hello all,

It's been a very busy day, but I wanted to give you a quick update on the campaign.

Later today, we'll be releasing our last campaign commercial on the Web -- "YesOn." It's a spoof of the "HeadOn" commercials that you may have seen on TV. We're releasing this spot as a creative way to encourage everyone to get out and vote tomorrow.

We also need as many volunteers as we can get tomorrow -- if you can donate any time to the campaign, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Krystal, to find out how you can help with our Election Day activities.

As you know, no matter where you live, you can also visit our Volunteer Action Center and start making calls to voters from the comfort of your home.

Again, thank you -- with your help, we'll be able to pass Question 7 tomorrow and end marijuana prohibition in Nevada.

Cheers,

Neal

Come to the Question 7 Election Night Party! Join CRCM to celebrate Election Night at the Empire Ballroom on the Las Vegas strip tomorrow night, November 7, at 7:15 pm. Supporters of Question 7 are invited to attend the party to watch election returns with the CRCM staff and meet your fellow Question 7 supporters. We hope to see you there!

For all the details on the event, click here.

From Yes on Question 7 Campaign Manager Neal Levine ...

Hello all,

We have been receiving an overwhelming amount of support from Nevadans of all stripes throughout the campaign. I just wanted to drop everyone a note to say two things:

1. Thank you.
2. We need you now more than ever.

All indications we have show the campaign is surging, but we need every single person reading this to roll up their sleeves and pitch in over the final days. History is yours for the taking.

Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Krystal, and let her know how you can pitch in over the final days. Or just jump onto the Volunteer Action Center and start making calls to voters from your home. Even if it's just an hour or two, every little bit helps.

Thank you again, and here's to victory on November 7.

Cheers,

Neal

(P.S. -- I'm going to be personally posting on the blog to update everyone with an insider's view on what's happening over the final 48 hours, so please stay tuned ... )

If you live in Reno or Las Vegas, you may have seen a newspaper ad this morning from our opposition. One of our campaign supporters, jhelion, has posted a spoof response to this ad -- and we've added it to our supporter-generated content page here.

The latest webisode of the Question 7 campaign is now live! The filmmakers of Authentic Entertainment present another behind-the-scenes view of the campaign to end marijuana prohibition -- this time bringing to life the press conference announcing a coalition of religious leaders in support of regulating marijuana as a policy alternative to prohibition. You'll get an in-depth view of the leaders who represented the coalition in the newest Question 7 webisode.

CNN aired a profile of Question 7 this morning during "House Call" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. We have the video here.

We've got Friday's episode of "Face to Face with Jon Ralston," in which CRCM Campaign Manager Neal Levine goes head-to-head with Todd Raybuck of the Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable.

Who do you think won the debate? Watch it for yourself, and post your comments here on our blog or on the message board.

CNN will air a profile of Question 7 on Saturday during "House Call" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The segment will run tomorrow during the 5:00 a.m. PST (8:00 a.m. EST) hour, and will air again on Sunday during the 5:00 a.m. PST (8:00 a.m. EST) hour, as well. CNN sent a crew to CRCM headquarters last week to get an inside look at the campaign for this story. Unless you're an early bird, don't forget to set your VCRs or TiVo it!

  

CRCM has reached our initial goal of raising $30,000 between October 1 and Election Day, thanks to our dedicated and incredibly generous supporters!

However, Question 7 is under attack. Our opponents, the Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable, have launched a less-than-respectable radio ad filled with blatant lies about the initiative.

In response, we've prepared a spoof of their ridiculous ad to set the record straight. But we need to raise an additional $10,000 to put it on the air.

Will you help CRCM put this new ad on radio stations throughout Nevada? By raising an additional $10,000, we'll be able to air this ad and reach even more voters before Tuesday's election.

We have less than four days to go. Please help us run this ad by donating today. Whether you can give $50 or $5, every donation puts us closer to passing Question 7 on Tuesday.

Help us set the record straight about Question 7 -- please donate to CRCM today!

We told you yesterday about a nasty radio ad from an anti-Question 7 group that lies about the marijuana initiative. Well, CRCM isn't letting them go unanswered -- we've produced our own radio ad that parodies their commercial. But there's one difference: Our ad tells the truth about Question 7 and the need to fix our failed marijuana laws. Listen for yourself here.

Today is the last day for early voting in Nevada -- please get to the polls and vote YES on Question 7 today! You can find your nearest polling location by clicking here. We can't win without your support, so head on down to the polls before it's too late.

Listen to this voicemail left at CRCM headquarters tonight.

The Associated Press has reported that District Judge David T. Wall of Las Vegas today denied CRCM's request for an injunction to prevent public officials from expending taxpayer funds, time, or resources in opposition to Question 7.

Today's ruling was clearly made by an activist judge who essentially sought to rewrite Nevada's law from the bench. Unfortunately, because of this activist courts' ruling, government officials will be further emboldened to use tax dollars to campaign illegally.

Key Quote:

Neal Levine, manager of the group backing Question 7 on the Tuesday ballot, called it "highly likely" the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana would appeal. Levine said Wall's ruling that public officials have a First Amendment right to political speech ignored a state law prohibiting campaigning on public time. The marijuana advocate said the ruling would let boards, commissions and public officials spend taxpayer money to back favored initiatives and candidates.

"This is a bad ruling by an activist judge. It should not stand," Levine said.

CRCM had originally filed its lawsuit on October 19, stating that the seven members of the Clark County Commission individually, as well as Washoe County District Attorney Dick Gammick, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Stan Olsen, and six members of the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education, all violated Nevada's state ethics law by campaigning against Question 7 on the public dime.

Today's ruling raises the stakes even higher on Election Day, and we need your help now more than ever. We can win, but only if you vote. And we need more volunteers. If you're able to donate any time to the campaign on November 7, please e-mail our volunteer coordinator today. This will be a tight race, and the support of every voter and volunteer will make all the difference on Election Day.

CRCM Campaign Manager Neal Levine will debate Question 7 with Todd Raybuck of the Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable on Friday's episode of "Face to Face with Jon Ralston." The episode will air on Las Vegas ONE (Cox Cable Channel 19) at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8:00 p.m., 10:30 p.m., and 3:30 a.m. We'll have the video posted here shortly after the show airs.

CRCM Campaign Manager Neal Levine was on "Prime News with Erica Hill" during CNN Headline News today. Todd Raybuck of the Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable was also on hand to represent the anti-Question 7 side. Check out the clip here.

The Question 7 campaign has issued a news release responding to the latest radio ad from the Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable -- which is run out of the office of controversial political operative Sig Rogich.

Not surprisingly, our opponents are blatantly lying to voters about what Question 7 will do, claiming that Question 7 will prohibit employers from drug testing -- which it doesn't -- and that CRCM is trying to "make street use of drugs legal" -- which we aren't. The best part? The commercial -- which is full of lies itself -- accuses Question 7 supporters of lying! It's outrageous that our opponents are running an ad to deliberately mislead voters while pointing fingers at us for being dishonest.

A straightforward debate about Question 7 is one thing, but our opposition's commercial is just ridiculous.

Don't let them get away with it.

Please help us pass Question 7 on Tuesday. Vote, volunteer, donate.

At 3:05 p.m. PST (6:05 p.m. EST) today, CRCM Campaign Manager Neal Levine will be live on "Prime News with Erica Hill" on CNN Headline News to discuss Question 7. You'll see Neal debate local prohibitionist Todd Raybuck of the Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable. There are sure to be some fireworks, so check your local listings for the channel and tune in to CNN Headline News this afternoon.

Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS-TV ran a fair and balanced report on Question 7 this week. Watch the video clip here.

At some point between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. PST (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. EST) on Thursday, CRCM Campaign Manager Neal Levine will be live on CNN Headline News to discuss Question 7. You'll see Neal debate local prohibitionist Todd Raybuck of the Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable. There are sure to be some fireworks, so check your local listings for the channel and tune in to CNN Headline News tomorrow afternoon.

John Tierney, columnist for The New York Times, published a piece about the gulf between federal prohibitionists and American voters, particularly in the West. He points to the widespread support for medical marijuana among Americans, as well as the significant number of voters who take a libertarian stance toward a state's right to determine their own policy on marijuana.

Key quote:

This year the White House drug czar, John Walters, and his minions have been out campaigning in Nevada, Colorado and South Dakota, which have marijuana initiatives on the ballot. The drug warriors are still sounding the discredited alarms about youths turning into potheads. Their fervor's not surprising -- they may even believe their own hype.

What's surprising is the political stupidity of the meddling. Westerners, no matter what they think of marijuana, don't appreciate sermons from federal officials on how to vote. In 2002, when the White House campaigned against another marijuana ballot initiative in Nevada, the state's attorney general said it was "disturbing" to see the federal interference in a state election.

It's true -- Nevadans don't like to see the federal government trying to interfere in our election matters. CRCM has repeatedly called on the drug czar to stay out of Nevada's local politics and to let the voters decide on a sensible marijuana policy for themselves.

Please help us pass Question 7. Vote, volunteer, donate.