[EM] language/framing quibble

[Raph Frank]

On Mon, Sep 1, 2008 at 8:06 PM, rob brown <rob at karmatics.com> wrote:
> Condorcet methods are the closest, in my opinion, to giving everyone's vote
> equal weight.  This does not mean "equal chance of electing one's first
> choice candidate" though.  While the centrist voters get the honor of having
> it most likely that their first choice is elected, those on the extremes
> have the ability to move where the center is....so their vote counts just as
> much as everyone else's.

Exactly.  It 'favours' both left and right wing extremists, so they cancel.

>
> (again, I use the example of "voting for a number" and selecting the median
> as the model of perfect fairness --- with Condorcet methods coming the
> closest to matching this level of fairness for single winner elections with
> a finite number of discrete candidates)
>

It is possible to generate condorcet ties, but if the voters rank the
options from nearest to furthest, then the median of the first choices
will be picked.

The 'how much to spend on a party' example is an example of an exception

A) $40 > $0 > 100$ (wants to spend $40)
B) $100 > $40 > $0 (wants to spend $100)
C) $0 > $100 > $40 (doesn't want the party, but 'if we are going to do
it, let's do it right')