----- Original Message -----
From: "S.V. van Baardwijk-Holten" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 8:48 AM
Subject: Re: Second Thoughts
> "Marvin Long, Jr." schreef:
>
> > If you set procedural arguments aside, then we know for
> > a fact that we don't have an accurate measure of the will of the Florida
> > electorate as things currently stand.
>
> Actually you _do_ know what they want. It's just that that is illegal
because half want Bush, the other half want Gore. Give or take a few votes
that is. But to me these votes are the scientific error margin of the
system. Maybe I'm too stupid or something, but how can you determine that
one or the other has won an entire states vote when both have almost exactly
half of the support of that state? This is certainly very strange to me. But
then again I'm not a US citizen. I'm just a scientist. ;o)
>
This is the main weakness of the winner take all system. It doesnt account
for the overall will of the people. The system works well enough when
someone gains a clear majority.....actually it works great under those
conditions. But in very close elections there are too many ......ahem
"losers" for "the will of the people" to be carried out in any meaningful
way.
I'm not going to suggest that we change our methods to any great degree. But
I dont think I will ever look at elections the same way again.
This has been an extreme eye opener.
xponent
rob
