Denver May Be First “Stoned” Convention But Not First “Smashed” One

TIPPECANOE AND TYLER TOO ; Old Log Cabin, Booz, et. al

Denver City Councilman Doug Linkhart, who sits on the marijuana enforcement panel, said he does not believe marijuana enforcement will be a priority during the convention which is code for Democrat Delegates can light up with impunity.

Police had said they would enforce Denver’s already liberal marijuana laws provoking a threat from Denver’s mayor warning them they better not.

So pot smokers will be free to light up in the streets of Denver this week because a voter-required panel endorses a moratorium on marijuana citations during the Democratic National Convention. Pot proponent Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), says it is better to have delegates, convention-goers, demonstrators and Denver citizens stoned on marijuana rather than using alcohol.

SAFER proponents contend that police continue to “persecute” the drug’s users pointing out Denver is on track to have 1,800 marijuana bust this year compared to about 200 drunk and disorderly arrests. Neither figure includes driving under the influence arrests.

Opponents say this will be the first political convention where the presidential and vice presidential nominee will be selected by drug dazed delegates.

That likely is true but, alcohol and being “stoned” or “smashed” has been a staple at political conventions since America’s earliest day. The 1840 election between William Henry Harrison and Martin Van Buren encouraged that. Not only did the hotly contested race produce one of the most popular political slogans in American history - “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” - but it also introduced campaign kitsch.

To promote Harrison’s everyman “log cabin” image, the Whig Party distributed Old Cabin Whiskey, which was sold in cabin-shaped bottles. The distiller was E.C. Booz of Philadelphia, and, yes, this is where the word “booze” originated.

Harrison’s supporters also took to rolling huge paper or tin balls printed with campaign slogans from town to town as part of parades and rallies, giving birth to the term “keep the ball rolling.”

Regardless the whole thing was pretty much a scam

Tippecanoe referred to the aristocratic then Indiana territory Governor William Henry Harrison’s suspect military victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe against the forces of famous warrior Tecumseh’s growing American Indian confederation. On the eve of November 6, 1811 Harrison approached Tecumseh’s position in Prophetstown, Indiana. Tecumseh offered a truce until a peace could be made the next day. Fighting broke out before dawn withmost thinking Harrison had executed a sneak attack and when the sun rose it was seen how small Tecumseh’s forced were and the battle was a stalemate with Tecumseh after killing of wounding almost 200 despite their pitifully small force.

Harrison trounced incumbent Van Buren amid a nationwide economic downturn and a hell-of-a-lot of Old Log Cabin “booze.”