Shadow of Cerberus EVE Community Forum

COTW: Violence inherent in the system

Comment of the week honors goes to a number of people who have been chiding me on various media about about weaker candidates on the list of CSM8 candidates that I endorsed yesterday.  Chief among them are DSJ, who put it this way:

It doesn't make any sense to ask people to vote for a slate you know will lose. Unless the reasons that the 1-14 are going to win are reversible everyone voting your slate has to ask why they are doing it? As strong as your instincts might be toward actual integrity in journalism publishing this list prior would be a mistake. This is related to your earlier post on Transparency and being transparent. It makes particular sense if instead of considering yourself the boss you consider yourself the employee in this instance --- coming from your example. Voters that want to vote for you don't want their candidate predicting a loss.

And it's a fair criticism.  As I've already said, much of the list of candidates that I endorsed is somewhat political.  Know what?  Every other endorsement list you see is going to operate the same way.  Here's why, from my perspective.

The alternative to pointing people at good candidates who are likely to lose is to strengthen the bloc vote, something that it would be a dumb idea for me to do.  Let's say I endorse some good bloc candidates (and there are some).  The way STV operates, if people follow that suggestion and vote for those good bloc candidates, that reduces the number of bloc votes that those good bloc candidates need to get on the CSM.  The bloc votes that would otherwise go to them instead flow directly to bad bloc candidates (and there are some), increasing the likelihood that they'll be on the CSM, too!

It is therefore a dumb idea for me to endorse bloc candidates -- even good bloc candidates -- for two reasons:

1. I reduce the chances that good candidates that are not bloc candidates get on the CSM; and,
2. I increase the chances that bad bloc candidates -- that otherwise would not be elected! -- get on the CSM in their place.

Weird as it sounds, even if I were not running for CSM, my endorsements would lean in the direction they leaned for this reason.  Endorsing good candidates -- even weak good candidates that are going to struggle to be elected -- is a smart move for me.  When other endorsement lists come out -- particularly the bloc ballots -- read them with that in mind because that's how they're all going to work.  This is one of the few weaknesses inherent in the STV system.

Thanks to everyone who is considering my CSM8 endorsement list!
Source: COTW: Violence inherent in the system