presidential poll try again

[BlueK]

If the following candidates appeared on your ballot, which would you vote for?

John McCain, Republican
Barack Obama, Democrat
Bob Barr, Libertarian
Ralph Nader, independent
Chuck Baldwin, Constitution
Cynthia McKinney, Green

[UtahDan]

Some one show BlueK how to do a poll.

[BlueK]

Originally Posted by UtahDan

Some one show BlueK how to do a poll.

I finally figured it out. :-)

[YOhio]

I'm leaving the presidential box blank.

[jay santos]

Third party candidates are a big problem (not so much this election). We should modify the process like some countries do where all but two are eliminated before the final election.

[BlueK]

Originally Posted by jay santos

Third party candidates are a big problem (not so much this election). We should modify the process like some countries do where all but two are eliminated before the final election.

why are they a problem? I didn't think they got enough votes to be a problem. But if in the unlikely event a third party candidate got enough electoral votes to keep anyone from getting a majority, there is already a provision in the Constitution to deal with that. I would say let the scenario just play out. The country wouldn't fall apart.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by BlueK

why are they a problem? I didn't think they got enough votes to be a problem. But if in the unlikely event a third party candidate got enough electoral votes to keep anyone from getting a majority, there is already a provision in the Constitution to deal with that. I would say let the scenario just play out. The country wouldn't fall apart.

They're a problem in that they can sway a state's electoral votes to the wrong person.

Politician A 46%
Politician B 44%
Policitian C (more closely aligned to B than A) 10%

They're a nuisance. If they can't break the top two, they have no business being there.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by jay santos

They're a problem in that they can sway a state's electoral votes to the wrong person.

this is why I love Barr.

[BlueK]

Originally Posted by jay santos

They're a problem in that they can sway a state's electoral votes to the wrong person.

Politician A 46%
Politician B 44%
Policitian C (more closely aligned to B than A) 10%

They're a nuisance. If they can't break the top two, they have no business being there.

The flaw in your analysis is that you think it's easy to determine who is more closely aligned to whom. It's far more complicated than that. A recent poll of Barr supporters showed 56% prefered Obama over McCain. The reason, I think, is that people who decide to buck convention to vote for a third party guy are doing it because they have long given up the desire to vote for a major party candidate. Even if most Libertarians came from the GOP, that doesn't mean they are more closely aligned. In fact, on many issues (civil liberties, etc.) they are more closely aligned with the democrats right now.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by BlueK

The flaw in your analysis is that you think it's easy to determine who is more closely aligned to whom. It's far more complicated than that.

How is that a flaw in my analysis? The potential is obviously there to screw with the system. If it happens once in one state in one election, then it's a problem.