[EM] plurality isn't so bad

[ban@richardwinger.com]

I know it contradicts a core assumption of many
members of this group, but plurality winners aren't
always so terrible.  Some presidents who have been
elected with only a plurality of the US popular votes
were among our best presidents, while some who were
elected with huge majorities were among our worst.

The plurality popular vote winners include Polk
(instrumental for getting Texas into the U.S., a mixed
blessing?), Taylor (who helped California be admitted
into the union, a clear blessing), Lincoln the first
time, Garfield, Cleveland both times, Wilson both
times, Truman, Kennedy, Nixon the first time (he did
his best work in his first term...going to China,
Family Assistance Plan), and Clinton both times.

Getting elected with majorities were Pierce (who
disastrously signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854),
Grant both times, Harding, Coolidge, Nixon the 2nd
time.

Of course, this should not be confused with the
miserable presidential elections in which someone who
didn't even get a plurality still took the office
(J.Q. Adams, Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, and George W.
Bush the first time).

Jesse Ventura, Lowell Weicker, and Walter Hickel, the
only three governors elected in minor party tickets in
the last fifty years, all won with pluralities.  I
doubt they could have won if there had been a
majority-vote requirement.  The last third party
victory in a US House race (New York in 1948, Vito
Marcantonio), ahd the last third party victory in a US
Senate race (New York 1970, James Buckley) were also
instances of plurality winners.

--- Dave Ketchum <davek at clarityconnect.com> wrote:

---------------------------------

Plurality should be more recognized as a loser - too
easy to get two
candidates on side X of an issue and one on side Y. 
Assuming
popularity of X and Y is any place near a tie, the X
candidates will
share the X votes, and the Y candidate will win due to
no sharing,
rather than needing to be more popular than side X.



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