On 4/28/12 1:13 PM, Kristofer Munsterhjelm wrote:
But maybe the reason why that wasn't always done to IRV proposals
was because the big opponents knew that IRV wasn't going to really
improve on Pluralilty anyway, given current electorates.
I doubt it. Of course it could be the case that high-profile people
who supported IRV, like Howard Dean, were complicit. But if so,
they're doing a *really* good job at faking their enthusiasm.
i supported Howard Dean, both for governor and also for president. in
fact, because lacking Single Payer, the State of Vermont has the closest
thing going compared to any U.S. state (it's called VHAP, Vermont Health
Access Program) and it was something signed into law by Dean and i was a
beneficiary of it (it saved me from a heart attack). in fact, i got to
tell this story and introduce this presidential candidate to a town hall
meeting two days after the infamous "Dean scream" and just before the
New Hampshire primary (where Kerry beat Dean) in Wentworth NH. got to
talk with George Stephanopolis. so i like Howard Dean.
but Howard's endorsement of IRV during our IRV repeal slugfest did
little good. *during* his endorsement, with the news cameras rolling,
he said (sorta asked) that this (2009) was the first time we used it.
in fact, it was the second time, the first time was in 2006. but it
made him look like he was outa touch with the town he lives in (at the
time he was the Chair of the Democratic National Committee and probably
spent more time away from home than at home) and outa touch with the
facts of the debate.
it was sorta embarrassing for those of us against the repeal (and was
touted big-time by the pro-repeal people). Bernie also endorsed IRV.
even Barack Obama had been noted to have endorsed it. but all of this
is in the context of FairVote selling IRV and Ranked-Choice Voting as
one-and-the-same, which of course they are not. this was why i wrote my
first paper on the subject (in March 2009 as soon as i found out that
there was a Condorcet winner and IRV failed to elect him) about how IRV
*failed* to accomplish the very purposes we had adopted it for. but i
was not for the repeal. i was hoping the repeal effort would lose, just
barely, and then i wanted to try to get the anti-IRV people to consider
Condorcet. but as it happened, the "single mark ballot" people have
been vindicated for at least a generation. sad.
--
r b-j [email protected]
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
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