Artifact 77b3863af7a019060d23d086ce7a8b7b747e4845:


0000: 0a 49 66 20 77 65 20 68 61 64 20 61 6e 79 20 61  .If we had any a
0010: 74 20 61 6c 6c 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 61 6c 74  t all of the alt
0020: 65 72 6e 61 74 69 76 65 20 76 6f 74 69 6e 67 20  ernative voting 
0030: 69 64 65 61 73 20 6c 69 6b 65 20 69 6e 73 74 61  ideas like insta
0040: 6e 74 20 72 75 6e 6f 66 66 2c 20 43 6f 6e 64 6f  nt runoff, Condo
0050: 72 63 65 74 2c 20 61 6e 79 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65  rcet, any of the
0060: 6d 2c 20 49 20 74 68 69 6e 6b 20 69 74 20 6d 69  m, I think it mi
0070: 67 68 74 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 74 68 65 20 77 68 6f  ght make the who
0080: 6c 65 20 70 72 6f 63 65 73 73 20 62 65 74 74 65  le process bette
0090: 72 0a 0a 4d 79 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68 74 20 77 61  r..My thought wa
00a0: 73 20 74 6f 20 67 65 74 20 70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20  s to get people 
00b0: 66 61 6d 69 6c 69 61 72 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 70  familiar with ap
00c0: 70 72 6f 76 61 6c 20 76 6f 74 69 6e 67 2c 20 74  proval voting, t
00d0: 68 65 6e 20 67 65 74 20 70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20 74  hen get people t
00e0: 6f 20 70 6c 65 64 67 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 74 6f  o pledge only to
00f0: 20 76 6f 74 65 20 66 6f 72 20 61 20 63 61 6e 64   vote for a cand
0100: 69 64 61 74 65 20 69 66 20 74 68 61 74 20 63 61  idate if that ca
0110: 6e 64 69 64 61 74 65 20 73 75 70 70 6f 72 74 65  ndidate supporte
0120: 64 20 61 70 70 72 6f 76 61 6c 20 76 6f 74 69 6e  d approval votin
0130: 67 2e 20 49 20 70 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 62 65 67  g. I put the beg
0140: 69 6e 69 6e 67 73 20 6f 66 20 61 20 73 69 74 65  inings of a site
0150: 20 74 6f 67 65 74 68 65 72 20 68 65 72 65 3a 20   together here: 
0160: 68 74 74 70 3a 2f 2f 61 70 70 72 6f 76 61 6c 76  http://approvalv
0170: 6f 74 65 2e 6f 72 67 20 62 75 74 20 73 74 6f 70  ote.org but stop
0180: 70 65 64 20 77 6f 72 6b 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 69  ped working on i
0190: 74 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 49 20 64 65 63 69  t because I deci
01a0: 64 65 64 20 6e 6f 74 20 74 6f 20 70 75 73 68 20  ded not to push 
01b0: 74 68 65 20 69 64 65 61 20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 69  the idea for thi
01c0: 73 20 65 6c 65 63 74 69 6f 6e 2e 20 4d 6f 72 61  s election. Mora
01d0: 6c 6c 79 2c 20 69 6e 20 6d 79 20 6f 70 69 6e 69  lly, in my opini
01e0: 6f 6e 2c 20 6c 65 74 74 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20  on, letting the 
01f0: 6e 65 6f 63 6f 6e 73 20 69 6e 20 66 6f 72 20 61  neocons in for a
0200: 6e 6f 74 68 65 72 20 74 65 72 6d 20 69 73 20 75  nother term is u
0210: 6e 61 63 63 65 70 74 61 62 6c 65 2c 20 49 20 73  nacceptable, I s
0220: 75 73 70 65 63 74 20 28 62 75 74 20 64 6f 6e 27  uspect (but don'
0230: 74 20 6b 6e 6f 77 29 20 74 68 61 74 20 4d 63 43  t know) that McC
0240: 61 69 6e 20 69 73 20 61 20 70 61 72 74 69 63 69  ain is a partici
0250: 70 61 6e 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 6e 65 6f 63  pant of the neoc
0260: 6f 6e 20 6d 6f 76 65 6d 65 6e 74 2e 20 53 69 6e  on movement. Sin
0270: 63 65 20 74 68 65 73 65 20 65 6c 65 63 74 69 6f  ce these electio
0280: 6e 73 20 63 61 6e 20 68 69 6e 67 65 20 6f 6e 20  ns can hinge on 
0290: 61 20 66 65 77 20 68 75 6e 64 72 65 64 73 20 6f  a few hundreds o
02a0: 66 20 76 6f 74 65 73 20 49 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68  f votes I though
02b0: 74 20 69 74 20 77 61 73 6e 27 74 20 77 6f 72 74  t it wasn't wort
02c0: 68 20 65 76 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 69 6e 66 69 6e  h even the infin
02d0: 74 65 73 69 6d 61 6c 20 72 69 73 6b 20 6f 66 20  tesimal risk of 
02e0: 61 6e 79 20 61 63 74 69 76 69 74 79 20 74 68 61  any activity tha
02f0: 74 20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20 67 65 74 20 70 65 6f 70  t would get peop
0300: 6c 65 20 74 68 69 6e 6b 69 6e 67 20 61 62 6f 75  le thinking abou
0310: 74 20 74 68 65 20 61 6c 74 65 72 6e 61 74 69 76  t the alternativ
0320: 65 73 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 74 6f 70 20 74 77  es to the top tw
0330: 6f 20 70 75 6c 6c 69 6e 67 20 76 6f 74 65 73 20  o pulling votes 
0340: 61 77 61 79 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 4f 62 61 6d 61 2e  away from Obama.
0350: 20 49 20 64 69 64 20 74 68 69 6e 6b 20 6f 66 20   I did think of 
0360: 70 75 73 68 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 69 64 65 61  pushing the idea
0370: 20 69 6e 20 76 65 6e 75 65 73 20 64 6f 6d 69 6e   in venues domin
0380: 61 74 65 64 20 62 79 20 69 6e 74 65 72 65 73 74  ated by interest
0390: 20 69 6e 20 52 6f 6e 20 50 61 75 6c 20 62 75 74   in Ron Paul but
03a0: 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 77 61 73 20 73 6f 6d 65 20   there was some 
03b0: 62 65 65 72 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 66 72 69 64  beer in the frid
03c0: 67 65 20 61 6e 64 2c 20 77 65 6c 6c 2c 20 79 6f  ge and, well, yo
03d0: 75 20 63 61 6e 20 67 75 65 73 73 20 74 68 65 20  u can guess the 
03e0: 72 65 73 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 61 74 20 73 74 6f  rest of that sto
03f0: 72 79 2e 0a 0a 41 6c 74 68 6f 75 67 68 20 74 68  ry...Although th
0400: 65 20 63 75 72 72 65 6e 74 20 69 6d 70 6c 65 6d  e current implem
0410: 65 6e 74 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 6e 65 65 64 73 20 6d  entation needs m
0420: 61 6a 6f 72 20 72 65 77 6f 72 6b 20 49 20 64 6f  ajor rework I do
0430: 20 74 68 69 6e 6b 20 74 68 65 20 69 64 65 61 20   think the idea 
0440: 68 61 73 20 70 6f 74 65 6e 74 69 61 6c 2e 0a 0a  has potential...
0450: 20 20 20 31 2e 20 47 65 74 20 70 65 6f 70 6c 65     1. Get people
0460: 20 74 6f 20 65 78 70 65 72 69 65 6e 63 65 20 70   to experience p
0470: 6c 75 72 61 6c 69 74 79 20 76 73 20 61 70 70 72  lurality vs appr
0480: 6f 76 61 6c 20 76 6f 74 69 6e 67 2e 20 49 4d 48  oval voting. IMH
0490: 4f 20 6f 6e 63 65 20 79 6f 75 27 76 65 20 74 72  O once you've tr
04a0: 69 65 64 20 69 74 20 67 6f 69 6e 67 20 62 61 63  ied it going bac
04b0: 6b 20 74 6f 20 70 6c 75 72 61 6c 69 74 79 20 69  k to plurality i
04c0: 73 20 61 63 74 75 61 6c 6c 79 20 71 75 69 74 65  s actually quite
04d0: 20 75 6e 63 6f 6d 66 6f 72 74 61 62 6c 65 2e 0a   uncomfortable..
04e0: 20 20 20 32 2e 20 47 65 74 20 70 65 6f 70 6c 65     2. Get people
04f0: 20 74 6f 20 70 6c 65 64 67 65 20 74 6f 20 76 6f   to pledge to vo
0500: 74 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 66 6f 72 20 63 61 6e 64  te only for cand
0510: 69 64 61 74 65 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 73 75 70 70  idates that supp
0520: 6f 72 74 20 61 70 70 72 6f 76 61 6c 20 76 6f 74  ort approval vot
0530: 69 6e 67 2e 0a 20 20 20 33 2e 20 47 65 74 20 63  ing..   3. Get c
0540: 61 6e 64 69 64 61 74 65 73 20 74 6f 20 61 64 64  andidates to add
0550: 72 65 73 73 20 61 70 70 72 6f 76 61 6c 20 76 6f  ress approval vo
0560: 74 69 6e 67 2e 0a 0a 4e 6f 77 20 77 68 79 20 61  ting...Now why a
0570: 70 70 72 6f 76 61 6c 20 61 6e 64 20 6e 6f 74 20  pproval and not 
0580: 43 6f 6e 64 6f 72 63 65 74 2c 20 72 61 6e 67 65  Condorcet, range
0590: 2c 20 49 52 56 20 6f 72 20 61 6e 79 20 6f 6e 65  , IRV or any one
05a0: 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 64 6f 7a 65 6e 73 20 6f   of the dozens o
05b0: 66 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 76 6f 74 69 6e 67 20 74  f other voting t
05c0: 65 63 68 6e 69 71 75 65 73 3f 0a 0a 20 20 20 31  echniques?..   1
05d0: 2e 20 41 70 70 72 6f 76 61 6c 20 69 73 20 31 30  . Approval is 10
05e0: 30 25 20 64 6f 61 62 6c 65 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20  0% doable using 
05f0: 65 78 69 73 74 69 6e 67 20 65 6c 65 63 74 69 6f  existing electio
0600: 6e 20 6d 61 63 68 69 6e 65 73 0a 20 20 20 32 2e  n machines.   2.
0610: 20 41 70 70 72 6f 76 61 6c 20 69 73 20 68 69 67   Approval is hig
0620: 68 6c 79 20 72 65 73 69 73 74 61 6e 74 20 74 6f  hly resistant to
0630: 20 61 6e 79 20 6d 65 61 6e 69 6e 67 66 75 6c 20   any meaningful 
0640: 73 74 72 61 74 65 67 69 63 20 76 6f 74 69 6e 67  strategic voting
0650: 2e 0a 20 20 20 33 2e 20 41 70 70 72 6f 76 61 6c  ..   3. Approval
0660: 20 69 73 20 65 61 73 79 20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65   is easy for the
0670: 20 65 6e 64 20 75 73 65 72 73 2e 20 47 6f 20 74   end users. Go t
0680: 72 79 20 64 6f 69 6e 67 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 63 6f  ry doing some co
0690: 6e 64 6f 72 63 65 74 20 6f 72 20 49 52 56 20 72  ndorcet or IRV r
06a0: 61 6e 6b 65 64 20 76 6f 74 69 6e 67 2e 20 49 74  anked voting. It
06b0: 20 69 73 20 72 65 61 6c 6c 79 20 74 65 64 69 6f   is really tedio
06c0: 75 73 2e 0a 20 20 20 34 2e 20 49 52 56 20 69 73  us..   4. IRV is
06d0: 20 2a 77 6f 72 73 65 2a 20 74 68 61 6e 20 50 6c   *worse* than Pl
06e0: 75 72 61 6c 69 74 79 20 69 6e 20 69 74 73 20 76  urality in its v
06f0: 75 6e 65 72 61 62 6c 69 74 79 20 74 6f 20 73 74  unerablity to st
0700: 72 61 74 65 67 69 63 20 76 6f 74 69 6e 67 2e 0a  rategic voting..
0710: 20 20 20 35 2e 20 43 6f 6e 64 6f 72 63 65 74 20     5. Condorcet 
0720: 69 73 20 74 6f 6f 20 68 61 72 64 20 74 6f 20 67  is too hard to g
0730: 72 6f 6b 20 66 6f 72 20 6d 6f 73 74 20 66 6f 6c  rok for most fol
0740: 6b 73 2e 20 49 20 6b 6e 65 77 20 6f 6e 63 65 20  ks. I knew once 
0750: 68 6f 77 20 69 74 20 77 6f 72 6b 65 64 20 62 75  how it worked bu
0760: 74 20 63 6f 75 6c 64 6e 27 74 20 65 78 70 6c 61  t couldn't expla
0770: 69 6e 20 69 74 20 74 6f 20 73 6f 6d 65 6f 6e 65  in it to someone
0780: 20 72 69 67 68 74 20 6e 6f 77 20 66 6f 72 20 74   right now for t
0790: 68 65 20 6c 69 66 65 20 6f 66 20 6d 65 2e 0a 0a  he life of me...
07a0: 49 6e 20 73 68 6f 72 74 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 72  In short the mar
07b0: 67 69 6e 61 6c 20 69 6d 70 72 6f 76 65 6d 65 6e  ginal improvemen
07c0: 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 63 6f  t of the more co
07d0: 6d 70 6c 65 78 20 76 6f 74 69 6e 67 20 73 6f 6c  mplex voting sol
07e0: 75 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 6f 76 65 72 20 61 70 70 72  utions over appr
07f0: 6f 76 61 6c 20 64 6f 65 73 6e 27 74 20 62 75 79  oval doesn't buy
0800: 20 6d 75 63 68 2e 0a                              much..