Responses to some of Forest's ideas

[DEMOREP1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/25/01 11:01:58 PM, you wrote:

<<Democracy implies "consent of the governed."

***

In summary, we don't have to argue for adoption of Approval over Condorcet
only on the basis of simplicity, Favorite Betrayal Criterion, etc. 
Approval gives more hope than any other (multi-candidate single winner)
method to the disenfranchised minority against the "tyranny of the
majority." 
 >>
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D-  

See *consent of the governed* in the second paragraph of the U.S.A. 
Declaration of Independence.

Democracy means majority rule --- as far as elections are concerned.

The current *tyranny of the minority* is what folks should be *REALLY* 
worried about --

Every house of the U.S.A. Congress and every State legislature being elected 
by indirect minority rule gerrymander schemes;

U.S.A. Presidents in 1992, 1996 and 2000 (and some in earlier years) being 
elected by a minority of the popular votes.

Approval Voting is technically defective since it by definition does not have 
relative rankings among the *approved/tolerable* choices -- especially ---  a 
*real* first choice majority choice may lose.

48 A
3 AB
49 B

100

Using Approval, B wins.  A has a *real* first choice majority.

Candidate pollsters take notice -- if your candidate is near 50 percent, then 
at all costs do not have your first choice supporters vote for any other 
choice that nearly has 50 percent in the polls.  Likely result- yet another 
plurality winner.