I think Josh Marshall is among our sharpest political analysts. I think that especially strongly when he’s saying what I want to hear. His bet is that the Democratic race comes down to Dean and Clark, and that Dean doesn’t have all the advantages.
The latest poll showing Dean getting a big bump in Iowa after the Gore endorsement makes this even more plausible. If Dean beats Gephardt soundly in Iowa, and Clark edges Kerry for second in New Hampshire — the first now likely, the second at least a reasonable bet — the race suddenly looks very interesting.
Author: Mark Kleiman
Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out.
Books:
Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken)
When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist
Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993)
Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989)
UCLA Homepage
Curriculum Vitae
Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com
View all posts by Mark Kleiman