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<div class="gmail_quote"><div>. </div><div><br></div><div>[wrt PAL]It's interesting. I'd rather just argue before the supreme court that the law that prohibits multi-seat federal elections is unconstitutional because of its harmful effects on minority voters and the fact that the specific election rule used by states should be up to the states. </div>
</div></blockquote><div><br></div></div><div>I think the chances of that idea flying with the SCOTUS any time in the next 20 years are virtually nil. For me, the best option for PR is a seriously empowered grassroots push, on the level of the progressive movement or the civil rights movement (and something which hasn't happened since the latter, including the anti-Vietnam movement), which starts with local victories in cities and state legislatures and moves to push congress to make PR legal. It is not inconceivable that #OWS could develop into such a movement; I think that the Tea Party, on the other hand, has shot its wad.</div>
</div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>dlw: unless, of course, the grass/net-roots movement were to include protesting for the SCOTUS to do the right thing. And the truth is that <a href="http://www.google.com/search?gcx=c&ix=c2&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=%22clarence+thomas%22+%22cumulative+voting%22">Clarence Thomas</a> is on record saying good things about cumulative voting to help minorities. I think he'd be okay with leaving it up to states, since in our two-party system, it's hard to imagine more than 5-seat PR(droop quota) getting to see the light of day.</div>
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<div><br></div><div>I realize that right now I am just a guy, so far nowhere near in Fairvote's league for effective organization for reform, so I could forgive you for discounting my "crazy ideas" and pragmatically supporting IRV. But I'm working on a kick-ass website and web service - something that will be like <a href="http://modernballots.com/" target="_blank">http://modernballots.com/</a> but even better, and with a "donate" button that will have (I hope) an existing, large-membership good-government organization behind it. Can't say too much more right now.</div>
</div></blockquote><div><br></div></div><div> I've been where you are and still am for the most part. </div><div>Beware of the power of the ego to rationalize tilting against windmills...</div><div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<div><br></div><div>In other words: "I have a bunch of vaporware. What do you bring to the table?" :)</div></div></blockquote></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div></div><div>Part of my motive for my empty bragging was to probe what your plans and skills, as opposed to your goals, are. I guess putting it in ironic quotes was not the best way to show that the question was serious, though friendly.</div>
</div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I don't think it's an exaggeration to say I'm generally respected by leading electoral reform advocate folks for my thinking on this matter. I've pushed for later developments in FairVote a number of times, and so while whether there's any influence going on from me would be hard to prove, it is my plan right now is to work with in tandem with them as the de facto leaders of American electoral reform.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I'm not the type to start up and lead a new org. And, while I'm free-lance now, it seems that when American forms of PR get big as an alternative to CFR that progressives and centrists can rally around at the state levels, then I imagine I could get coopted into an organization's think-tank.</div>
<div><br></div><div>dlw</div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"><div class="gmail_quote">
<div><br></div><font color="#888888"><div>JQ</div></font></div>
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