Santa Clara's choice

[David Marsay]

In belated response to:
> From:          Mike Ositoff <ntk at netcom.com>
> Subject:       Santa Clara's choice

<SNIP>
> Runoff has a definite & concrete way in which it's better than
> FPP: If a CW makes the runoff, he can't lose. That means that,
> while a CW needs to get the most votes to win in FPP, he onlly
> needs to come in 1st or 2nd in Runoff. That's a concrete
> improvement. 
> 
> I don't know of anything like that which can be said for IRO,
> in comparison to FPP. 

I have just posted some criteria which AV/IRO meets but FPP doesn't. 
I think the main one is to do with throwing out 'tyrants'. I note 
that Runoff meets this criteria where one has a second ballot, 
because there will still be an opponent left who then beats the 
tyrant.  Technically, 'avoiding vote-splitting' seems like a nice 
condition, which AV/IRO meets but FPP and Runoff do not.

> You never hurt your upper choices by voting for your lower
> choices? No, not unless you try to protect those lower choices
> from elimination :-)

What do you think of the tactical voting criteria I posted?
 
> I'm not saying that it can be said that Runoff is definitely
> better than IRO. When things are so different they're difficult
> to compare.

And I am not (yet?) saying the converse. But I think my criteria are 
somehow more natural than yours.

By the way, in the UK I don't think Runoff would give a different 
winner from FPP very often. AV/IRO would make a difference more 
often, and would favour a moderate candidate. Until politics adapt to 
the new rules, that is!

Cheers.  
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Sorry, but apparently I have to do this. :-(
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