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Democrats Victorious: The U.S. Rejoins the World | 28 comments (28 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: Is it not so (none / 0)
I believe the 'Virginia Greens' who were on the ballot for the Senate election are a local right-wing pressure group who hijacked the Green name and have no connection with the US Green Party. Their votes could easily have gone to Allen rather than Webb if they had stood down.  
by saugatojas on Fri Nov 10th, 2006 at 10:48:09 AM EST
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Re: Is it not so (none / 1)
Upon checking, you are right! The right-wing Greens are the Independent Greens of Virginia, but there is also the legit Green Party of Virginia. The G G Parker who got 1.1% was indeed from the right-wing version.

On a more general note, I continue to protest the attitude of big party supporters that assume that certain voters' votes belong to them.

  • A voter's vote belongs to the voter.
  • That voter may as well stay at home if denied the (third) option.
  • There are much more people already staying home than voting for third parties in the US. This is your campaign's real failure, not not getting the voters of third parties.


*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Fri Nov 10th, 2006 at 03:10:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
To wit, an argument for IRV. (none / 1)
However, it should be noted that the first point:
  • A voter's vote belongs to the voter.

means that care must be taken to avoid the details of the Australian version, where people may either put in an exhaustive list of preferences, or vote for a party "above the line", with their preferences distributed at the direction of the party.

That leads to all manner shenanigans, including a Coalition (conservative) Prime Minister gaining power in part due to the preference distribution of a Trotskyite party.

Optional second preference is close enough for me ... it allows people to express their support for their preferred candidate, and also express their view on the lesser of two evils between the major party candidates.


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 Sun Nov 12th, 2006 at 09:42:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Democrats Victorious: The U.S. Rejoins the World | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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