Re: [ga] Request for a Clarifying Vote

[Gary Osbourne <gro@direct.ca>]

At 09:32 AM 27/05/02 -0400, t byfield wrote:

>these self-appointed exegetes do not speak for me, and
>i don't see much evidence that they speak for any but a
>very few others.

I agree with ted, and would take it further. As what one
was thinking at the time one entered the voting booth is
unknowable to anyone but the occupant, I don't see how
anyone can accurately speak about the intended meaning
of anyone's vote but their own, and if the motion(s) is
confusing as in the present case, perhaps not even that.

The time for discussion about what a vote means, or about
what oneself (and even theorizing about what others) mean
via a yea or nay vote is in advance of the vote, not
afterwards. If voters fail to do that in advance they have
no-one to blame but themselves, though in this case an
arbitrarily shifting form/content of the motion and time
of closure could be seen as mitigating factors. If the
process is what caused the confusion, repeating the
process is unlikely to clarify anything. First fix a
flawed process if you don't like flawed outcomes, or
deal first with flawed outcomes and run the real risk
of never getting to fixing the process.

Studies have shown that people vote for politicians who are
taller than others to a statistically significant degree.
Does this mean their votes should be interpreted as meaning
that with voters, their prime determinate of suitability for
office is height, that one's electoral platform is less
important than one's platform shoes? Mebbe, but don't blame
(let alone vote to recall) the successful politician on
either account, even if s/he has a slightly taller or
shorter siamese twin who may or may not also take office,
and the twins may or may not get along. The twins made
no secret of their co-existence and aren't at fault as
it was (or should have been) clear to all what problems
might thus ensue. Now that they are rearing their ugly
heads, rather than tell (or even ask) other voters what
they were thinking, one should push to initiate/modify
rules regarding future siamese twin candidates or we'll
see more of them run in future. They may not make the
best candidates, but it seems they've got more legs. -g

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