Do you see a "law and order" message resonating in 2016?

[Suburbia]

With all of these police brutality issues rising in the United States today, do you see any candidate playing the "law and order" mantra, trying to appeal to "angry and resentful" voters in the U.S.?

[pbrower2a]

Maybe in some of the most backward parts of America, the places where people still believe that liberals are enablers of criminals as 'poor, misguided souls' instead of the sociopathic predators that most criminals are.

[cinyc]

Among Republican primary voters?  Absolutely.  Among Democratic primary voters?  No.  Among the general electorate?  Perhaps.

[Beet]

There's a broad moving consensus against the carceral state and the "law and order" attitude that has been building for a long time, but that consensus will most likely unravel and may even stall out entirely if the issue becomes about race and riots. Any time something polarizes by race, minorities (in this case blacks) will lose out. There are a lot of white people who are needlessly killed by police, such as John B. Geer, who don't get attention, but I think drawing attention to their stories too is a part of what it will have to take to sustain a majority coalition.

But an outright "law and order" message will unlikely resonate unless the riots get really bad. Then, it'll be Nixon '68 again.

[Cory]

Maybe in some of the most backward parts of America, the places where people still believe that liberals are enablers of criminals as 'poor, misguided souls' instead of the sociopathic predators that most criminals are.

Crime and it's roots aren't that simple. C'mon.

[ChainsawJedis]

If Paul actually mad his views on criminal justice a major part of his platform without bending to GOP establishment, that would really resonate with me.

[Sumner 1868]

Of course not. These actions aren't nearly as widespread as anything in the late 1960s.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I could see Christie try it.  But the American public is moving in the other direction.

[bobloblaw]

No it isnt 1968 or 1988 or 1992 when Clinton took time out from the campaign to execute a mentally retarded man,

Crime in the USA has fallen by 33% or more since the mid 1990s. In some cities like NYC the homicide rate is down 70-75% from the 1990 peak. In NYC there are fewer murders today than 100 years ago. Even in cities like Atlanta, crime was lower in 2014 than in the past 45 years.

With crime falling, now is time for prison, drug and sentencing reform for nonviolent offenders.

[Maxwell]

No it isnt 1968 or 1988 or 1992 when Clinton took time out from the campaign to execute a mentally retarded man,

Crime in the USA has fallen by 33% or more since the mid 1990s. In some cities like NYC the homicide rate is down 70-75% from the 1990 peak. In NYC there are fewer murders today than 100 years ago. Even in cities like Atlanta, crime was lower in 2014 than in the past 45 years.

With crime falling, now is time for prison, drug and sentencing reform for nonviolent offenders.

Actually... yes. 100% agreed.

[Türkisblau]

No it isnt 1968 or 1988 or 1992 when Clinton took time out from the campaign to execute a mentally retarded man,

Crime in the USA has fallen by 33% or more since the mid 1990s. In some cities like NYC the homicide rate is down 70-75% from the 1990 peak. In NYC there are fewer murders today than 100 years ago. Even in cities like Atlanta, crime was lower in 2014 than in the past 45 years.

With crime falling, now is time for prison, drug and sentencing reform for nonviolent offenders.

Actually... yes. 100% agreed.

I was so prepared to vehemently disagree with bobloblaw. I am pleasantly surprised.

[bobloblaw]

The problem is we have a "Law Enforcement Industrial Complex" that has been existed since 1970 or so but grew dramatically in the 1980s though the mid 1990s. Alot of agencies and law enforcement are making a lot of money fighting crime that no longer exists.

First two steps are decriminalizing marijuana and repealing asset forefiture laws. This will dry up a lot of funds going to law enforcement that is used to militarize the police.

Law enforcement needs to be flexible. The Guiliani approach was ok in 1990, when NYC had 2500 homicides, but it is no longer appropriate today.

[Thunderbird is the word]

No it isnt 1968 or 1988 or 1992 when Clinton took time out from the campaign to execute a mentally retarded man,

Crime in the USA has fallen by 33% or more since the mid 1990s. In some cities like NYC the homicide rate is down 70-75% from the 1990 peak. In NYC there are fewer murders today than 100 years ago. Even in cities like Atlanta, crime was lower in 2014 than in the past 45 years.

With crime falling, now is time for prison, drug and sentencing reform for nonviolent offenders.

Actually... yes. 100% agreed.

here here, this is a very different country then it was twenty, even ten years ago.

[ElectionsGuy]

Only to the far-right wingers obsessed with police brutality riots.

[bobloblaw]

Only to the far-right wingers obsessed with police brutality riots.

I am a right winger and Im sick of police brutality. The whole Law Enforcement Industrial Complex is completely out of control. Take away their ability to sell assets of people involved in the drug trade and ban the military from selling surplus material to local police agencies.

Conservatives need to stop being so reflexively pro police

[Mister Mets]

It could resonate. Even though crime's gone down, there's a tendency to freak out about things that aren't necessarily serious risks (shark attacks, terrorism.) And if there's an increase in crime, "Don't worry. It's not as bad as it was in the 1970s" isn't a great message.

[Cory]

No it isnt 1968 or 1988 or 1992 when Clinton took time out from the campaign to execute a mentally retarded man,

Crime in the USA has fallen by 33% or more since the mid 1990s. In some cities like NYC the homicide rate is down 70-75% from the 1990 peak. In NYC there are fewer murders today than 100 years ago. Even in cities like Atlanta, crime was lower in 2014 than in the past 45 years.

With crime falling, now is time for prison, drug and sentencing reform for nonviolent offenders.

Actually... yes. 100% agreed.

I was so prepared to vehemently disagree with bobloblaw. I am pleasantly surprised.

[pbrower2a]

It could resonate. Even though crime's gone down, there's a tendency to freak out about things that aren't necessarily serious risks (shark attacks, terrorism.) And if there's an increase in crime, "Don't worry. It's not as bad as it was in the 1970s" isn't a great message.

Shark attacks? You are more likely to be killed by a DOG.