[EM] 12/19/02 - `Mikeo the man of many Typos'

[Alex Small]

Donald said:
> Mike Ossipoff wrote:
>
> In my most recent message, the following passage was accidentally
> left in after it had been discovered to be incorrect:
>
> "(In ordinary Approval, the fact that the Dems are more numerous than
> the Nader people means that the Dem candidates will outscore them)."

Yes, but Mike then wrote:
>Of course if the Dems & Nader coalition vote for eachother's candidates,
>then both coalition's candidates will get the same vote total in
>ordinary Approval, just as thet get the same score in CS Approval.

For the sake of precision, Mike said that there is a "razor-edge case"
where Nader and the Dem receive the same number of votes.  He never said
that this is a likely outcome, but to be as accurate and precise as
possible he wanted to include that case.  It reveals clear thinking on
Mike's part, not a delusion.

> In the real world the Dem candidates will outscore the Nader people,
> even in an Approval Voting election.

Mike never denied that that is by far the most likely outcome.

> Mikeo and his cohorts refuse to accept the fact that many voters refuse
> to make lower choices.  Our Australian friend on this list has already
> told us that in real IRV elections in his country, many voters refuse to
> make lower choices.

If this is indeed true, then it suggests that lower choices can hurt your
favorite in IRV.  I don't believe that lower choices can hurt your
favorite in IRV, but you seem to be arguing that above.  So, who is making
the contradictory statements here?

> In spite of this truth, Mikeo keeps his blinders on
> and goes his merry way believing that the foolish Dem voters are all
> going to march lockstep and vote for Nader as their second choice.

Mike has never suggested that all Dem voters will vote for Nader as well. 
He merely said that strictly speaking, to enumerate all possible outcomes,
he should mention that case.  There is a difference between all POSSIBLE
outcomes and all PLAUSIBLE outcomes.

Indeed, Approval Voting supporters are not contending that all Dems will
vote for Nader.  Most people on this list contend that in a race with
Bush, Gore, and Nader, we have a 1-D political spectrum.  Gore is the
median candidate on that spectrum.  Whether he's closer to Bush, closer to
Nader, or right in the middle is a separate issue, but as the median
candidate he is the one most likely to win in Approval.

However, we believe that because Approval makes it possible for all
candidates _with widely accepted ideas_ to compete, our elections will
quickly become multidimensional.  Besides the standard left and right, we
will see fiscally conservative/socially liberal candidates, or fiscally
liberal/socially conservative.  There will be a broader range of ideas out
there.  Approval can handle these types of situations quite nicely by
homing in on the median (the candidate closest to the median on each
issue).

Anyway, I look forward to your next message contending that Approval
Voting is just a conspiracy to elect unpopular candidates.  You can join
Craig Carey on the roster of paranoia, since he believes that I do nothing
but lie and I go to this list to get an "Amen!" from other liars.



Alex


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