[EM] A much too complicated sporting analogy

[Martin Harper]

Or a Machiavellian analogy?

Plurality: you stab your favourite in the back with a poisoned dagger, and the
crown goes to the lesser of the two most evil heirs.

Borda: somebody else stabs your favourite in the back, and you stab their
favourite in the back, and the crown goes to whoever is left alive.

IRV: as for Plurality, but you use slow-acting poison.

Approval: if your favourite looks like she's going to be crowned, you stab your
compromise in the back.

Cardinal Ratings: as for Approval, but you can decide how hard to stab them.

Condorcet: You don't stab anyone in the back.

Dictatorship: The king stabs everyone in the back.

Bart Ingles wrote:

> How about a foot-race analogy?
>
> Approval:  Each runner starts in a separate lane.  There is one heat,
> and the winner of the single heat is the overall winner.
>
> Plurality:  Runners start at opposite ends of a single lane.  The one
> who gets farthest before colliding into someone else is the winner.
>
> Instant Runoff:  Similar to Plurality, but the race is aborted as soon
> as the first two runners collide.  The colliding runner judged farthest
> behind is eliminated (even if both are ahead of other runners at the
> time).  This is repeated until the final two collide head-on, and the
> one who got farthest in the final round is the winner.