[EM] Making a Bad Thing Worse

[Dave Ketchum]

On Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:14:29 +0100 Raph Frank wrote:
> On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 1:44 AM, Dave Ketchum <davek at clarityconnect.com> wrote:
> 
>>How do we measure 'sincere'?  In most places in the US N backers place a
>>candidate on a party primary ballot, and N2 (usually a larger number)
>>directly on the general election ballot.  Also voters can usually vote for
>>others via write-in.  N and N2 NEED to be based on the number of potential
>>nominators and getting a 'reasonable' quantity of candidates.
> 
> 
> Maybe the best plan would be to say that the X candidates who receive
> the most signatures are placed on the ballot.  There might also be a
> minimum number of signatures allowed.

I said to have X as a goal, but making it a rigid requirement has problems:
      Can include candidates with unreasonably weak 'sincerity'.
      Can exclude truly 'sincere' candidates (perhaps a limit somewhere, 
but making N large enough can make excess candidates difficult).
      Note that having ONE candidate for a primary is reasonable - even one 
for a general election can be adequate, given one GOOD one.
> 
> Probably the 2 major parties would be exempted (for practical reasons).

This makes no sense, though the N could, and probably should, be based on 
party membership.
> 
> Also, write-ins should be allowed.
-- 
  davek at clarityconnect.com    people.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.