Post by grinfish on May 5, 2011 22:45:26 GMT 1
Well, it's all done and dusted, but have to have a crack at this coffee/beer thing.
The counter-claim expressed is that
That's an assumptive interpretation. You're assuming that 80% of the voters actually dislike the Red Lion, when all they actually did was say "I prefer to go to (pub name), but I'd rather have a Beer than No Beer at all." If they disliked the Red Lion THAT much, they'd have gone for the coffee in their voting paper before the Red Lion, and got themselves some tinnies in for home later.
AV is a way of determining the Highest Common Denominator where the majority are willing to agree on something.
That will require compromise on the parts of many voters, and it stands to reason that any candidate will be required to compromise on their "purist" political ideology to win them over.
The chances of a relatively popular candidate who normally polls over 40% under FPTP being overturned aren't massive, they will always pick up some 2nd/3rd preference votes as other parties are knocked out. It does however make the 30-35% first round mark a less-likely sure thing to carry them through where, let's face it, they represent barely anyone.
Of course, it doesn't stop them stabbing you in the back once electedDOES IT NICK?, but it means they at least have to CONSIDER what the majority will want, rather than just go with "I have 34% of the Vote in a 6-candidate constituency, I don't need to care what anybody else thinks at all".
The counter-claim expressed is that
"So everyone ends up going to the Red Lion - even though 80% of the voters didn't really want to go there at all. In fact of that 80%, most can't stand the place.
AV= better? Fairer? I don't think so."
AV= better? Fairer? I don't think so."
That's an assumptive interpretation. You're assuming that 80% of the voters actually dislike the Red Lion, when all they actually did was say "I prefer to go to (pub name), but I'd rather have a Beer than No Beer at all." If they disliked the Red Lion THAT much, they'd have gone for the coffee in their voting paper before the Red Lion, and got themselves some tinnies in for home later.
AV is a way of determining the Highest Common Denominator where the majority are willing to agree on something.
That will require compromise on the parts of many voters, and it stands to reason that any candidate will be required to compromise on their "purist" political ideology to win them over.
The chances of a relatively popular candidate who normally polls over 40% under FPTP being overturned aren't massive, they will always pick up some 2nd/3rd preference votes as other parties are knocked out. It does however make the 30-35% first round mark a less-likely sure thing to carry them through where, let's face it, they represent barely anyone.
Of course, it doesn't stop them stabbing you in the back once elected