It's election weekend | 340 comments (339 topical, 1 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: New top-level comment (none / 0)

Well

So here is a brief description of PP and PSOE positions and the small parties. Be aware, though, that the left is basically in the streets shouting "do not vote PPSOE". Unfortunately, all polls suggest that this is the sociological left, the one in the streets, you know.

Still, the contention is that there are ample opportunities for third party votes.

To err is of course human. But to mess things up spectacularly, we need an elite — Yanis Varoufakis

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Nov 23rd, 2011 at 04:25:30 PM EST
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Re: New top-level comment (none / 0)

There were no calls not to vote for "either party" (i.e. neither party in the political spectrum). There were enough parties to choose from. It's what Rootless is distorting, and I admit I have developed an allergy against a certain kind of trans-Atlantic arrogance. It makes my fingers itch.

by Katrin on Wed Nov 23rd, 2011 at 04:43:24 PM EST
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Re: New top-level comment (none / 0)

Either implies "between two".

by rootless2 on Wed Nov 23rd, 2011 at 11:14:05 PM EST
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Re: New top-level comment (none / 1)

If you had said "call not to vote for either of the major parties" we wouldn't be having this silly subthread. The other parties exist - they have representation at all levels of government from local to continental, and not just testimonially in the parliaments but also in executive functions (from mayors up to regional governments).

To err is of course human. But to mess things up spectacularly, we need an elite — Yanis Varoufakis

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 02:28:39 AM EST
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Either implies "between two". (4.00 / 2)

Exactly! So you could have said:
My response was to the note in the article that the "left" was telling people not to vote for two out of a dozen parties.

You didn't, because you wanted something to hinge your weird theory about the left on.

by Katrin on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 02:30:57 AM EST
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Re: Either implies "between two". (none / 0)

But I note that in most electoral districts it was known that the other parties would not obtain any representation.

by rootless2 on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 08:49:54 AM EST
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Re: Either implies "between two". (none / 0)

Yes, but so what? In a 3-seater you know the result is going to be 2-1 no matter what because third parties don't poll above 25%.

To err is of course human. But to mess things up spectacularly, we need an elite — Yanis Varoufakis

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 08:57:12 AM EST
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Re: Either implies "between two". (none / 0)

In the event, if I am not mistaken, relatively few voters passed from PSOE to left wing parties and even fewer seats were obtained - due to the voting system. Most disaffected PSOE voters apparently either did not vote or voted PP - or am I reading the results wrong?

by rootless2 on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 10:43:29 AM EST
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Re: Either implies "between two". (none / 0)

I don't know...

		 2008  2011
eligible voters 35.0M 34.3M
abstention	 9.2M  9.7M
votes cast	25.9M 24.6M
null votes	 0.2M  0.3M
blank votes	 0.3M  0.3M
votes to lists	25.4M 24.6M
PP		10.3M 10.8M
PSOE		11.3M  7.0M
CiU		 0.8M  1.0M
IU		 1.0M  1.7M
UPyD		 0.3M  1.1M

To err is of course human. But to mess things up spectacularly, we need an elite — Yanis Varoufakis

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 12:00:19 PM EST
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Re: Either implies "between two". (none / 0)

Do you know why the quantity of eligible voters went down so much?

I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks, and not from them Eugene Debs

by redstar on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 12:45:07 PM EST
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Re: Either implies "between two". (none / 1)

That is easy: The number of eligible voters was deflated by the quasi gold-standard policy of the bundesbank.

Do you also want to know why the chicken crossed the road?

More seriously,

the PSOE lost 4.3 million votes.

Participation dropped by 1.3 million,
CiU, IU and UPyD gained 1.7 million,
and the PP gained 500,000 votes.

That still leaves a remnant, but that is probably somewhere in abstentions and blank votes and minor parties. So one half of PSOE voters did go to the left or regional parties, a third did stay home and only some voted PP.

by IM on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 01:44:35 PM EST
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Re: Either implies "between two". (4.00 / 2)

As far as I can gather from various anglo expat-pages lists of eligible voters are kept by local government. This might mean trouble for voters who become homeless.

SPAIN: Madrid Mayor Wants to Sweep Homeless Out of Sight - IPS ipsnews.net

Everyone on both sides of the argument is aware that the vast majority of the people sleeping rough and enduring the cold at nights are unemployed and homeless as a result of the prolonged global economic crisis. They are immigrants from Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe, as well as large numbers of Spaniards.

So your snark might hold a bit a truth, austerity might have removed those voters from the rolls.

A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!

by A swedish kind of death on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 02:48:35 PM EST
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Re: Either implies "between two". (none / 1)

There is rounding errors; the new basque left independentist party got 330 thousand votes and 7 seats, but I didn't list it because it got under 1M and didn't contest the last election; the new green left party got 230 thousand votes and no seats; and then there are a bunch of minor parties. Also, roughly 1M votes are registered while resident abroad and their votes may not have been counted, though estimates are that less than 1/3 actually voted.

To err is of course human. But to mess things up spectacularly, we need an elite — Yanis Varoufakis

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 07:19:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Either implies "between two". (none / 0)

I think 1 million absentee voters are not included yet.

To err is of course human. But to mess things up spectacularly, we need an elite — Yanis Varoufakis

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 07:06:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Either implies "between two". (none / 1)

"But I note that in most electoral districts it was known that the other parties would not obtain any representation"

Priceless, Rootless. One couldn't make it up. Indeed, we sort parties into major and minor ones, and this depends on the votes they won. And you are quite right, small parties did not obtain representation everywhere. Now, who would have thought that.

by Katrin on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 01:24:27 PM EST
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Re: Either implies "between two". (4.00 / 2)

What percentage of deputies are from districts with four or fewer seats?

For deputies from districts with 5 or more seats, the third party threshold when the largest part gets 40% of the vote is 13.4 or less ~ and shifting your vote from one of the two major parties to any other party helps lower the 3rd party threshold.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Thu Nov 24th, 2011 at 06:06:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It's election weekend | 340 comments (339 topical, 1 editorial, 0 hidden)

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