John B. Anderson has this lengthy op-ed in the Christian Science Monitor of September 1. The op-ed suggests that Instant Runoff Voting and proportional representation would be good for the United States.
Anderson’s column seems to have a slight factual error. It seems to imply that Lisa Murkowski, write-in candidate for U.S. Senate in Alaska in 2010, came in second. Actually she won. Also, because Anderson reached all the way back to 1990 to mention the independent gubernatorial wins in Alaska and Connecticut, it is surprising he didn’t mention that two independent candidates won U.S. Senate elections in 2006, in Vermont and Connecticut. Thanks to Rob Richie for the link.
Pending major public education about the math of number votes and yes/no tiebreaker votes —
P.R. and nonpartisan Approval Voting.
Kudos to Anderson for making the accurate statement that IRV could “improve our ability to avoid the ‘spoiler’ phenomenon”, instead of the more-common and inaccurate claim that it fixes the problem entirely.
A partial fix, though, is no fix at all, in this case. IRV would do nothing to change the two-party-dominated dynamic of American politics.
But whenever he’s ready for a truly spoiler *free* voting method, I’ve got just the thing for him: approval voting.
Lisa Murkowski was not an independent candidate.
Anderson has the right goal but the wrong voting method. We clearly need Approval Voting or even Score Voting. IRV won’t cut it. And you probably won’t see PR spread very much until you eliminate duopoly first… by adopting Score Voting or Approval Voting.
It is really sad that seemingly well intentioned people seem unable to acknowledge this painful reality.
#5, I think she was. She was not the nominee of a party, and by definition, a candidate who is not the nominee of a party (in a partisan election) is an independent candidate.
Many independent candidates are members of parties. I know she is a registered Republican but I still believe she was an independent candidate. The Republican Party actively fought her, even going to court to try to prevent elections officials from being permitted to tell voters who asked how to spell her name.
When you apply to be an official write-in candidate in Alaska (as 161 people did last November), you are permitted to list a party affiliation.
Officially, Senator Murkowski was a Republican write-in candidate, and not an independent.
http://www.elections.alaska.gov/ci_pg_cl_2010_genr.php