jeffd@ficc.uu.net (jeff daiell) (01/04/89)
Since I don't drink coffee, I'll use my coffee break to
post this.
Re: voting systems ... first, to the idea that an election
cannot be "fair" if it includes more than two candidates ....
if the legal limit is two, how is that fair to other
potential candidates and their supporters -- or to voters
who might want a wider choice? Second, a modest proposal:
let's add None Of The Above in every race. Even if a win
by NOTA does not result in the office's abolition, or even
vacancy until the next election, it would at least
make it thoroughly clear that the person who took the office
(the second-place finisher) had no "mandate". The NOTA option
might even cause turnout to rise --- and votes for NOTA would be
unmisinterpretable, as opposed to staying home, which the
pols claim comes from contentment, not disgust.
Jeff Daiell (opinions my own, until taxed away)
INDEPENDENCE FOR TEXAS!
--
"There's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for everyone ...
Gonna find me a place in the sun."cory@gloom.UUCP (Cory Kempf) (01/05/89)
In article <2604@ficc.uu.net> jeffd@ficc.uu.net (jeff daiell) writes: >Second, a modest proposal: >let's add None Of The Above in every race. Even if a win >by NOTA does not result in the office's abolition, or even >vacancy until the next election, it would at least >make it thoroughly clear that the person who took the office >(the second-place finisher) had no "mandate". The NOTA option >might even cause turnout to rise --- and votes for NOTA would be >unmisinterpretable, as opposed to staying home, which the >pols claim comes from contentment, not disgust. You might want to look into how the libertarians were treated by this last election... Last I heard, Ron Paul (their candidate for president) had filed a suit against the government... it seems that they would not even tell HIM how many votes he got. (for those of you who didn't follow this last election closely, the press (AP, UPI, ABC, NBC, CBS) made a unilateral decision to NOT report the results of any 'third party candidates', and to 'normalize' the results... ie if in a given area, Dukakis got 40%, Bush got 40%, and Paul got the rest, the results would be reported as 50-50 (and were)) +C: reporting to you from the country where "Every vote counts!" -- Cory ( "Graduate of the Rich L. Rosen PowerPosters Academy" ) Kempf UUCP: encore.com!gloom!cory "...it's a mistake in the making." -KT
webb@leadsv.UUCP (J.J. Webb) (01/05/89)
In article <2604@ficc.uu.net> jeffd@ficc.uu.net (jeff daiell) writes: > > Second, a modest proposal: >let's add None Of The Above in every race. I wouldn't mind seeing the NOTA on the ballot. > votes for NOTA would be >unmisinterpretable, as opposed to staying home, which the >pols claim comes from contentment, not disgust. There is an old axiom "Silence implies consent" which might not equate to contentment, but is certainly a long way from disgust. ...jjwebb...