[EM] Remember toby Nixon

[fsimmons at pcc.edu]

> From: Kevin Venzke 
> To: election-methods at electorama.com
> Subject: Re: [EM] remember Toby Nixon? FS
> Message-ID: <404845.50771.qm at web29613.mail.ird.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
> 
> Hi Forest,
> 
> --- En date de?: Mer 25.5.11, fsimmons at pcc.edu 
> a ?crit?:
> > The main problem is determining (through the disinformation
> > noise) who the front runners really are. 
> > Suppose the zero-information front runners to be candidates
> > A and B, but that the media created front 
> > runners are C and D.? If everybody votes for one of
> > these two falsely advertised front runners, then they 
> > become the front runners, but only through self fulfilling
> > prophecy.
> 
> The difference between Approval and Plurality here is that in 
> Pluralitywhen the frontrunners are A and B, generally only A and 
> B can win. Under
> Approval it is not guaranteed that the winner will be one of these
> candidates, as long as C or D haven't dropped out of the race.
> If the perceived frontrunners are actually the worst candidates, any
> better candidates should receive a vast number of votes.
> 
> If C or D are clones of A/B then I think they probably would 
> drop out
> of the race. But if we are simply electing the wrong clone, that 
> doesn'tseem like an enormous problem.
> 

Yes, Approval is much better than Plurality and quickly homes in on the CW if there is one.  But this 
homing in typically takes a couple iterations, which doesn't help when the candidates change every four 
years.