[EM] The Repoman strikes again

[LAYTON Craig]

Donald wrote:

>Repoman: The standard response to IRV fanatics should be the standard
example--
>
>H=  Hitler, S = Stalin, W = Washington
>
>34 HWS
>33 SWH
>16 WHS
>16 WSH
>
>Donald: No, not the infamous Hitler - Stalin - Good Guy example! (look what
>the cat dragged in again, Irving should demand equal time)
>   How about if we rotate the names? (That'll do it, that will give Irving
>a turn at electing the good guy - fair is fair)
>
>Repoman: With IRV Washington loses. An extremist wins.
>
>Donald:  I knew it!!   I just knew the good guy was going to lose. (the fix
>was in)
>
>Repoman: With Condorcet Washington beats both Hitler and Stalin head to
head.

For once, Donald has a point.  There will always be examples of any election
method electing an unpalitable candidate, and the example is meaningless.  I
suspect, however, that Donald is working with the same kind of bias; he
seems terrified of any method that appears more likely to elect anyone other
than one of the major party candidates.  You might as well propose a simple
electoral reform whereby only one democrat and one republican will be
allowed to stand in any contest.  This is what you're aiming for, is it not?
The winner will always have that mystical majority that seems so important.

Incedentally, the argument that, with IRV, primaries will be conducted
"inside" the main electoral contest is one I find unconvincing.  It doesn't
appear that this is good campaign strategy, and I am certainly not aware of
any cases where one party has run multiple candidates in single winner IRV.