Gallup has published its 2012 list of the top ten states with the most liberals in the country. To a strong degree this same list can be used as a stand in for the list of states most likely to support marijuana legalization. And success will likely come in those states that allow voter initiatives on the ballot.

The Republican base may have a favorable view of Mitt Romney, but the rest of the country holds a pretty negative opinion about him. Nationally, his favorable numbers are extremely poor and have been getting worse. Yet even though the American people don’t like Romney, he is within striking distance of beating President Obama.

It would be hard to see this rather rapid change in public opinion as anything but a real victory for the Occupy movement, which is heavily focused on the growing economic inequality in this country. The Occupy movement managed to change the national conversation.

The Republican base is still not particularly enthusiastic about the field of potential presidential nominees according to Pew Research. It appears Mitt Romney is on track to winning, not because he is a great candidate, but simply because he managed to be the best of a rather pathetic lot.

Among potential Republican primary voters, not only does Newt Gingrich have a big lead, he is also seen as having the best chance of beating President Obama according to Pew polling. The poll has Gingrich leading on that question, 35 percent to Romney’s 21 percent, with all other candidates below 10 percent. That’s very bad news for Mitt Romney.

The Republican base seems to have recently fallen in love with Gingrich but most everyone else still really dislikes the man. I suspect the GOP primary will depend on whether Republican primary voters realize this fact and/or care that their potential standard bearer is so unpopular with the rest of the country.

It is a depressing statement on the state of our current democracy that any easily implemented policy change like moving cannabis from schedule I to schedule III so it can be legally prescribed by a doctor still hasn’t happened despite poll after poll showing the American public overwhelmingly supports the change.

Official unemployment is at 9 percent. According to Pew, President Obama’s overall job approval rating is an anemic 46% approve – 46% disapprove, and his job approval on the economy is a dreadful 35% approve – 58% disapprove. These are terrible fundamentals that should make an incumbent President vulnerable, but according to Pew, Obama holds a two-point lead against Mitt Romney and is beating Rick Perry, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich by double digits.

This particular poll result from Pew Research does a very good job of encapsulating the mood of the country and revealing why the 99 percent movement has managed to gain so much steam over the past month and a half. In these economic hard times strong majorities say that the government doesn’t do enough for regular people such as seniors, the middle class, poor people and children. Yet an overwhelming 64 percent of the country instead feels our government does too much to help the wealthy.

Not since 1972 has generation played such a significant role in voter preferences as it has in recent elections. Younger people have voted substantially more Democratic in each election since 2004, while older voters have cast more ballots for Republican candidates in each election since 2006.

A new Pew Research Center study suggests this pattern may well continue in 2012.