because PR coupled with IRV gives voters a lot more choice than D vs R
moondog Send a noteboard - 23/10/2012 09:47:27 PM
Bottom line is all the left parties with identical platforms need to rally around a single slate of candidates. They would be extremely lucky to break double digits in most elections even then, but as long as there are four or five people all pushing the same agenda it is hopeless, because each will spoil the others vote. They need a standard bearer and rallying point; in terms of organization, infrastructure and ballot access the Greens are the obvious choice. There is a reason why Roseanne Barr could not get their nomination, and I would say the thing to the Peace and Freedom Party that I say to Libertarians: If you are just going to nominate a larger parties castoff anyway, why not go all the way and join that party so you might actually WIN and achieve some policy goals?
again, it's not a habit of fringe left-wingers to agree to disagree on issues. i could point you to several conflicts i've personally witnessed where people accuse their compatriots of conspiring with "the enemy" on one single issue when they are in agreement on 99% of the rest of their beliefs. having a PR system, and especially one tied to IRV, allows everyone to have a say in the types of policies that will be implemented. as i understand the way NZ does it, the parties publish a list of their top candidates who will be put into office if they win x% of the vote. if they win less than x%, the candidates fill the positions starting from the top and work their way down the list until they reach whatever threshold satisfies the proportionality. so, even though you are not directly voting on specific regional representation, you still have an idea of the people you *are* voting for.
"The RIAA has shown a certain disregard for the creative people of the industry in their eagerness to protect the revenues of the record companies." -- Frank Zappa
"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman
"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman
Between the ships, horses, bayonets, and lines about loving teachers...
- 23/10/2012 04:44:32 AM
1067 Views
He loves teachers, but only so long as we are seen and not heard.
- 23/10/2012 05:07:15 AM
527 Views
Which might those be?
- 23/10/2012 07:25:24 AM
527 Views
Romney did a good job, ultimately.
- 23/10/2012 05:13:00 AM
500 Views
I think it's safe to say foreign policy doesn't interest either of them all that much
- 23/10/2012 05:30:53 AM
491 Views
They really need to get together with the Greens.
- 23/10/2012 07:02:18 AM
553 Views
are you familiar with that scene in "life of brian"?
- 23/10/2012 05:25:54 PM
483 Views
I am indeed, but I do not see how proportional representation would help much.
- 23/10/2012 05:38:27 PM
443 Views
because PR coupled with IRV gives voters a lot more choice than D vs R
- 23/10/2012 09:47:27 PM
459 Views
PR mainly seems to give the same choices more OUTCOMES (and meshes poorly with IRV.)
- 24/10/2012 12:38:29 PM
500 Views
The instapolls declared Obama victor in #1 too, Romney won this one
- 23/10/2012 06:00:26 AM
689 Views
*blinks*
- 23/10/2012 06:08:00 AM
571 Views
With you on the first part, but most people conceded Obama had the edge on foreign policy.
- 23/10/2012 06:24:24 AM
511 Views
are you sure you weren't re-watching the first debate?
- 23/10/2012 06:08:36 PM
458 Views
No, defintely watching this one
- 24/10/2012 04:02:44 AM
542 Views
romney should be hanging in the wind with the way he campaigned
- 24/10/2012 06:28:40 AM
487 Views
So your rebuttal is to call for Romney's death? Nice *NM*
- 24/10/2012 06:57:19 AM
236 Views
yes, way to misconstrue what i said without actually responding to any of it 
*NM*
- 24/10/2012 05:20:07 PM
246 Views
*NM*
- 24/10/2012 05:20:07 PM
246 Views
You said it, not me, but way to double down on it, very classy *NM*
- 25/10/2012 03:00:10 AM
223 Views
i see romney has taught you the ways of the douchebag asshole. you used to be better than that...
- 25/10/2012 05:42:38 AM
425 Views
In fairness to Isaac, the terminology used typically describes hanging a criminal
- 25/10/2012 06:55:43 AM
550 Views
i'm sure if it were not the end of the election cycle he would not have taken it that way
- 25/10/2012 05:52:25 PM
506 Views
I must agree with Isaac and Legolas; violent language like that is a (literal) trigger for nutjobs.
- 29/10/2012 07:00:53 PM
427 Views
I have agreed with the post mortems till now; no idea how anyone can score that a Romney win.
- 23/10/2012 06:01:22 AM
562 Views
My favorite gaffe of the night:
- 23/10/2012 06:07:19 AM
544 Views
Honestly, it was hard to miss: The Persian Gulf is named after Iran.
- 23/10/2012 06:28:25 AM
504 Views
I was wondering what Iran would see as weaker
- 23/10/2012 12:59:38 PM
469 Views
Hopefully America is wondering the same thing, but that presumes most of us can find Iran on a map.
- 23/10/2012 04:01:19 PM
560 Views
..and the folks poking fun at him hope we only look at the cropped map they provide. *NM*
- 23/10/2012 07:18:11 PM
227 Views
It was a poorly worded statement, the "sea" being referred to is the Med, but essentially correct.
- 23/10/2012 07:16:37 PM
530 Views
What is this, the 19th century? Why is the Med so important?
- 23/10/2012 10:20:11 PM
540 Views
Commercial, Iran doesn't have a navy worth mentioning.
- 24/10/2012 03:41:46 PM
528 Views
Okay, commercial, that narrows it down. How, exactly?
- 24/10/2012 06:02:01 PM
503 Views
Right family (Hussein of Jordan), wrong generation by a few hundered years.
- 25/10/2012 06:16:51 PM
542 Views
Hm. Curious who you mean, then.
- 25/10/2012 11:52:06 PM
534 Views
You are too hung up on a "port"
- 26/10/2012 03:13:59 PM
455 Views
That's what Romney and you said, isn't it? Access to the Mediterranean.
- 26/10/2012 11:30:55 PM
630 Views
Re: That's what Romney and you said, isn't it? Access to the Mediterranean.
- 29/10/2012 02:23:33 PM
552 Views
Commercial interests are the only relevant ones, but commerical shipping has the Suez.
- 25/10/2012 11:31:23 PM
460 Views
and one he seems to keep making - how many times do you give someone the benefit of the doubt?
- 23/10/2012 11:46:55 PM
583 Views
it is simply a standard descriptive line.
- 24/10/2012 03:54:49 PM
568 Views
What is?
- 25/10/2012 11:15:28 AM
458 Views
Not really my contradictions, Frankly I think most of the political enteties in the ME are nuts. *NM*
- 25/10/2012 06:23:51 PM
219 Views
I'm refering to the contradictions of your argument, not the region
- 25/10/2012 11:47:29 PM
536 Views
Irans route to the sea is "not being landlocked;" it must go through Iraq to reach Syria.
- 24/10/2012 05:45:41 PM
520 Views
It is not ships and military conquest through the Med, it is political and ideological/religious.
- 25/10/2012 09:57:18 PM
496 Views
Um, I am pretty sure that stuff travels by internet and radio, not by sea.
- 25/10/2012 11:27:17 PM
505 Views
It is sociological, political, and religous, it does not have to make logical sense. *NM*
- 29/10/2012 02:26:43 PM
209 Views
If Romney wants to be president, he should make sense, particularly when arguing a cause for war.
- 29/10/2012 06:46:06 PM
580 Views
Obama trounced him but he was always going to and by this point nobody cares anymore
- 23/10/2012 12:58:12 PM
448 Views
The election is a tossup. Could really go either way at this point. *NM*
- 23/10/2012 11:06:39 PM
237 Views
inexplicably a tossup. normally the proven liar (romney) would have no chance
- 23/10/2012 11:36:16 PM
491 Views
Pointing to one side of a political debate/campaign and yelling LIAR is the definition of hypocrisy. *NM*
- 25/10/2012 09:59:08 PM
204 Views
well then prove to us mitt romney is not a liar and i will retract my statements *NM*
- 25/10/2012 10:32:18 PM
239 Views