Another Good Point for MMP
Here is another good point for MMP. Actually, it's a point about an argument against MMP. One of the main arguments I hear from the No side is that the party leaders will be able to pick representatives for the regional lists who will be less responsible to the people and more responsible to the leader/party line. Mark points out the big hole in this theory at Blogging For Democracy.
And another good point about the No side's arguments (from Northern BC Dipper):
I find the “No” to MMP side’s arguments rather inconsistent. They seem to complain about problems with the political party system as it applies to MMP, but ignore those same problems under SMP.
UPDATE - Here's another excellent post from Dawg's Blawg debunking the No side's arguments.
Currently, candidates are chosen by their party (party members vote in a nomination meeting). In MMP, candidates will be chosen by their party as well. Some people think that these 2 are different while they are the same.
Also, the new system will allow someone to vote for a local individual AND a party - and sometimes these 2 might be different. You currently don't have this choice.
Sometimes people are against something just because it is change. I can't see why most people would not want MMP as an improvement over the current system (if they took the time to check it out).
One thing that has always pissed me off about the current system is strategic voting. People have always felt they have had to vote strategically, even though, when the tumult and shouting has died, we have found that strategic voting basically backfires most of the time. With MMP, people will be able to vote for a party that best represents their view, knowing that their vote WILL count, even if they are in a riding where their party garners little support.
I used to work at a polling company for years, and one thing I noticed after doing many political polls was that although people tend to like and support ideas and the platform of one party (when looked at as individual ideas and not parts of one party's platform), they would still say they would vote for some other party when it came to the If an election were held today, who would you vote for? question - even though this party stands pretty much against (or would not attempt to implement) all those ideas the person said they liked. I believe MMP will help remove this problem and enable people to vote more intelligently and honestly. That's something that would benefit us all - intelligence and honesty.
Don't forget to vote Yes for MMP on Oct. 10th.
My other posts about this topic.
And another good point about the No side's arguments (from Northern BC Dipper):
I find the “No” to MMP side’s arguments rather inconsistent. They seem to complain about problems with the political party system as it applies to MMP, but ignore those same problems under SMP.
UPDATE - Here's another excellent post from Dawg's Blawg debunking the No side's arguments.
Currently, candidates are chosen by their party (party members vote in a nomination meeting). In MMP, candidates will be chosen by their party as well. Some people think that these 2 are different while they are the same.
Also, the new system will allow someone to vote for a local individual AND a party - and sometimes these 2 might be different. You currently don't have this choice.
Sometimes people are against something just because it is change. I can't see why most people would not want MMP as an improvement over the current system (if they took the time to check it out).
One thing that has always pissed me off about the current system is strategic voting. People have always felt they have had to vote strategically, even though, when the tumult and shouting has died, we have found that strategic voting basically backfires most of the time. With MMP, people will be able to vote for a party that best represents their view, knowing that their vote WILL count, even if they are in a riding where their party garners little support.
I used to work at a polling company for years, and one thing I noticed after doing many political polls was that although people tend to like and support ideas and the platform of one party (when looked at as individual ideas and not parts of one party's platform), they would still say they would vote for some other party when it came to the If an election were held today, who would you vote for? question - even though this party stands pretty much against (or would not attempt to implement) all those ideas the person said they liked. I believe MMP will help remove this problem and enable people to vote more intelligently and honestly. That's something that would benefit us all - intelligence and honesty.
Don't forget to vote Yes for MMP on Oct. 10th.
My other posts about this topic.
