Way OT [was: Re: [Slightly OT] Re: Voting (was Re: PEP 318)]

[Skip Montanaro]

    Joe> (The crux of the flamewar is that Condorcet tends to elect
    Joe> "compromise candidates" who are few peoples' favourite but
    Joe> palatable to most, while IRV is more likely to elect people that
    Joe> are the first choice of a large block but hated by others.  Which
    Joe> is preferable is a matter of philosophy.)

Given the results of the last couple of presidential elections in the US I'd
say our current system tends to "elect people that are the first choice of a
large block but hated by others" as well.  It has little to do with the
voting method though, and more to do with the candidates pandering to the
more extreme segments of their constituencies (*).  Perhaps one or the other
voting method would tend to move things back toward the middle.

Skip

(*) My personal opinion is that most Republican party apparatchiks try to
brand as "liberal" anyone whose views are at all to the left of say, Rush
Limbaugh.