[EM] [CES #4445] Re: Looking at Condorcet

[Andy Jennings]

On Sat, Feb 4, 2012 at 10:01 PM, robert bristow-johnson <
rbj at audioimagination.com> wrote:

> i really don't want this question distracted too much with "the guys and i
> are going out for pizza."  a little bit of distraction was okay, but the
> give-and-take relationship with my pizza-and-beer buds is just not the same
> as in a partisan contest that i bring my mace and shield.


It was, admittedly, an extreme example.  But a hyper-bitter cutthroat
political contest is the other extreme.  There are shades of gray in
between and there are many elections that fall nearer the pizza example
than the mace and shield one.

Any of the following might be a relatively friendly race:
- Party primaries
- Small town mayor in a non-partisan election
- School board
(By the way, does any town really elect their dog catcher anymore, or is
that just hyperbole?)

Also, I believe that we have such a bitter two-party system only because of
our plurality voting system (i.e. Duverger's Law).  Any good voting system
will entice more, and better, candidates to enter the races.  Hopefully,
then, the races can be less hostile and more civil.  But that argument
supports all of the "good" systems; it doesn't really distinguish between
them.

~ Andy
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