Though one must also blame the Democrats who've decided to fold on issues that actually matter to their voters (wages, taxes, labour unions) while taking the wrong (as in unpopular among their voters) side on "cultural" wedge issues. Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
Indeed, it would have a bigger impact than many realize, since primaries dominate party-branch-selection (known as "caucuses" in the US) and central-party selection of candidates. SP/IRV at the primary level would have its own impact on opening up the system, and indeed would be a worthwhile reform to pursue in its own right.
The most promising avenue for introducing proportional representation in the US is the Electoral College system, where winner take all is widely recognized as a flawed system (though little understood that, just like the Senate Filibuster, it was not the original system but something that evolved in the first generation after adopting the Constitution), and where a smaller group of states than an electoral majority could collectively adopt the reform on their own. I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
IRV is a great idea and expanding it from local elections to larger ones is the proper method. The trick is getting it implemented in places where it actually leads to electoral changes. When that happens, everyone will stand up and notice.
If it gets widely established at the primary level, it will start being a case of, "but, it's not fair that its not available in the general election".
And getting it INTO the primaries has its own internal dynamic, since it reduces the weight of the argument on the caucus side in the caucus vs primary debate. So it could see adoption in response to the problems of a caucus system by those who do not want to entirely give up the greater responsiveness of caucus, for the attendees at any rate, in favor of FPTP primaries. I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
Beyond that, the presidency is the least vulnerable institution, when it comes to abrogating ruling-class control. Start where the population can actually affect something. paul spencer
This decision will not - for reasons that are hopefully obvious - be left until election day...
- Jake If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.
Indeed, it is more likely to get put into place in general elections if it is put in for primaries first, where it has the advantage of offering for primaries an advantage that has so far been reserved for caucuses. So one avenue for getting started is as a way to replace traditional caucuses in states where they have fallen out of favor.
Indeed, the institutionally easiest way to get a second-preference IRV adopted would be in a so-called "firehouse caucus", which is just an election but run by the party rather than the regular board of elections system. I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
This: "Introducing IRV into the general election would make the Primary superfluous."
... claims far more than this: "So, under alternative voting you can have a Louisiana Primary."
You can have a Louisiana primary, but that does not make the primary superfluous, since the primary purpose of the primary is to select the party nominee by a more democratic process than branch membership committee selection or central party committee selection.
You cannot render something superfluous while failing to accomplish its primary task. I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
