Finding the probable best candidate?

[Steve Barney]

Yes, of course we have limited information by which to determine the group's
best candidate, but what if we focus on nothing but the information which is
contained in an ordinal preference ballot? In that case, the "best" candidate
may be defined as the one who is most preferred according to the information
contained in fully ranked ordinal preference ballots. Once again, Donald Saari
has claimed that he has proven the Borda Count to be the optimal method in such
a case.

Steve Barney

--- In election-methods-list at y..., "MIKE OSSIPOFF" <nkklrp at h...> wrote:
> 
> Blake said:
> 
> So the existence of candidates that are best for specific individuals
> proves that there are no absolute best candidates?
[...]
> 
> I reply:
[...]
> These issues have relevant sub-issues that are factual, of course.
> How many homeless are there? What will the war cost? But the issues
> themselves are not factual issues. It's a matter of "Is this benefit
> worth that cost?" "Is that undesirable result worse than this
> undesirable result?"
> 
> As I said, the answers aren't provable even in principle.


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