[EM] Saari reply

[Dave Ketchum]

On Thu, 20 Jun 2002 06:59:12 +0000 MIKE OSSIPOFF wrote in part:

> 
> I haven't yet checked all the e-mail in the discussion with Mike
> Saari, but I hope that it's been pointed out to him that CR is popular
> on EM, and that we don't need any convincing to like CR.
> 
> Because CR is strategically equivalent to Approval, and because
> Approval is so much easier to implement, and is such a modest
> departure from Plurality, most of us consider Approval a better
> public proposal. But there's also the fact that CR is more familiar
> to most people, and that could count decisively in CR's favor.
> So far I'm for Approval as the public proposal, because, though
> many seem to misunderstand it, their objections are easily answered.
> 
I missed any believable proof of this equivalence.


MANY voters can understand wanting to be able to say:  I prefer Nader; I 
can tolerate Gore as a second choice; my dislike for Bush requires that I 
mark him as less desirable than Gore.

Condorcet lets me say this, and expect to be heard when the votes are counted.

IRV lets me say this, but I cannot depend on their noticing.

Approval does not even let me say it.

Thus I believe in promoting Condorcet as the desired goal, rather than 
promoting and getting Approval and then needing a second effort stating 
the achieved goal was unsatisfactory and we need to change again:
      If Approval was basically free, and current budgets would not 
support going to Condorcet, Approval would be an acceptable temporary step.
      If making any improvement would cost money, then lets go to 
Condorcet in one step.
      If some current equipment supports Approval and some only plurality, 
could make sense to replace the least capable equipment by some capable of 
Approval AND Condorcet, and use Approval until the budget will support 
going all the way.  With the computer support that should be used in all 
public elections, equipment capable of both modes of operation should cost 
little more than if capable only of either Approval or Condorcet.
-- 
  davek at clarityconnect.com    http://www.clarityconnect.com/webpages3/davek
   Dave Ketchum    108 Halstead Ave, Owego, NY  13827-1708    607-687-5026
              Do to no one what you would not want done to you.
                    If you want peace, work for justice.

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