Election Reform and the Spoiler Effect

[XponentialChaos]

They had never voted with that system before. A lot of people only voted for one candidate. They didn't rank their ballot at all.

If they didn’t bother to rank their candidates, then how is that any different from what we currently have? Where is the issue?

 

[dblack]

Ok. So what if Republicans put up two candidates as well then? “Problem” solved, right?

Your issue seems to stem from having only two candidates in the general election. Put 3 of them in then. Hell, put 5 of them on the ballot. The top 5 are ranked and voted on. Winner earns the Senate seat.

What’s the issue? How is this one-party rule?

It doesn't really make any difference how many candidates a given party has running.

 

[para bellum]

If they didn’t bother to rank their candidates, then how is that any different from what we currently have? Where is the issue?

In previous elections, one of those GOP candidates would have been eliminated in the primary. The general would have had one repub and one dem, and the repub would win.

They had two repubs and one dem, and the dem won because the repub vote was split between two candidates.

 

[XponentialChaos]

It doesn't really make any difference how many candidates a given party has running.

I agree. Will he?

 

[Frankeneinstein]

YOu have a collection of racists, communists, and nutbags

An exercise in redundancy

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Good God you really don't understand it. It just doesn't work that way. It's hard to argue with your ignorance. You need to educate yourself.

No. You just have a lack of understanding of how numbers work. RCV is a bad idea for everything except maybe primaries.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

No. You don't seem to understand the lesser-of-two-evils concept.

Why is it that we all understand, but you are the only one seemingly lost in the concept?

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

It doesn't really make any difference how many candidates a given party has running.

That statement just proves you don't understand.

 

[dblack]

In previous elections, one of those GOP candidates would have been eliminated in the primary. The general would have had one repub and one dem, and the repub would win.

They had two repubs and one dem, and the dem won because the repub vote was split between two candidates.

That's not true. Here's the breakdown:

Of the 64,392 Begich voters, 7,460 ranked Peltola above Palin. When faced with Palin as the Republican choice, they switched parties and voted for Peltola. That's why Palin lost.

 

[dblack]

That statement just proves you don't understand.

It certainly proves one of us doesn't understand.

 

[dblack]

Why is it that we all understand, but you are the only one seemingly lost in the concept?

Because most of you are two party drones. Your only interest is in preserving your party's dominance.

 

[Independent thinker]

Ok. So what if Republicans put up two candidates as well then? “Problem” solved, right?

Your issue seems to stem from having only two candidates in the general election. Put 3 of them in then. Hell, put 5 of them on the ballot. The top 5 are ranked and voted on. Winner earns the Senate seat.

What’s the issue? How is this one-party rule?

As I said with my example, states would soon all fall into one party rule. There would be no purple states, no states with one Republican senator and one Democrat senator, we would be even more divided than we are now. And, it would actually favor the red team because there are more red states than blue states. Is that what you really want, 30 completely red states to 20 completely blue states, which translates into a supermajority in the Senate for Republicans, who would then end the filibuster, even further consolidating their power?

As far as this general election goes, RCV would not bring on a presidency of Cornell West, Jill Stein, Chase Oliver, or RFK. Either Trump or Harris would still win. Dback said something like Americans are getting tired of the duopoly and having to chose the lesser of two evils. Yet, we would still get the duopoly with either a democratic president or a republican president. Even if you wanted to fantasize a little, in this election we would have a choice of six different persons to be president and ALL would be the lesser of six evils. Is that really progress? If we continue with the fantasy and neither Trump or Harris won then are we gaining anything with West, Stein, Oliver, or RFK? None of them would make a good president. You help get rid of the duopoly and yet our president will still suck.

 

[dblack]

As I said with my example, states would soon all fall into one party rule. There would be no purple states, no states with one Republican senator and one Democrat senator, we would be even more divided than we are now.

How? Why do you say that would that happen?

As far as this general election goes, RCV would not bring on a presidency of Cornell West, Jill Stein, Chase Oliver, or RFK.

So what? No one said it would. But it would give us an accurate read on how many voters preferred those candidates. As it is, we have no idea how much support they really have because voters are afraid to vote for them.

Dback said something like Americans are getting tired of the duopoly and having to chose the lesser of two evils. Yet, we would still get the duopoly with either a democratic president or a republican president. Even if you wanted to fantasize a little, in this election we would have a choice of six different persons to be president and ALL would be the lesser of six evils. Is that really progress?

You don't seem to understand what lesser-of-two-evils is all about. It's the scare tactic that the two parties used to get people to limit their choice to only the top two parties. "If you don't vote for Harris, Trump will win!!!" or "If you don't vote for Trump, Harris will win!!!" That nonsense goes away under RCV and people can express their preferences honestly. And yes, that IS progress.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

It certainly proves one of us doesn't understand.

That would be you as evidenced by the other posters on this thread telling you the same thing as me.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Because most of you are two party drones. Your only interest is in preserving your party's dominance.

Better a two-party drone than a complete dumbass when it comes to the reality of how elections take place in the real world.

 

[dblack]

That would be you as evidenced by the other posters on this thread telling you the same thing as me.

That's not evidence. Just opinions. Notably ill-informed opinions for the most part.

 

[dblack]

Better a two-party drone than a complete dumbass when it comes to the reality of how elections take place in the real world.

If you say so. A drone is a drone. Try thinking for yourself. You might like it.

 

[XponentialChaos]

In previous elections, one of those GOP candidates would have been eliminated in the primary. The general would have had one repub and one dem, and the repub would win.

They had two repubs and one dem, and the dem won because the repub vote was split between two candidates.

Ah. So your issue is that Republicans can’t understand simple instructions.

“Put a 1 next to your favorite candidate. Put a 2 next to your second favorite candidate.”

What do you think? Too complicated?

 

[whitehall]

The only time democrats call for the elimination of the electoral college is when they are in danger of losing the election. Democrats consistently voted against photo I.D.'s to vote making the ludicrous and racist claim that it prevents mostly blacks from voting. Virginia had to get the Supreme Court to intervene when the criminal Biden regime said they couldn't purge illegal aliens from the voter rolls. That's how much democrats care about election reform.

 

[dblack]

The only time democrats call for the elimination of the electoral college is when they are in danger of losing the election. Democrats consistently voted against photo I.D.'s to vote making the ludicrous and racist claim that it prevents mostly blacks from voting. Virginia had to get the Supreme Court to intervene when the criminal Biden regime said they couldn't purge illegal aliens from the voter rolls. That's how much democrats care about election reform.

Alrighty then. Do you have an opinion on the topic?