-=> On 02-06-98  09:14, Mike Angwin did testify and affirm <=-
-=> to Roy J. Tellason concerning Re: useless test? <=-
[...snip...]
 MA> Yet in poll after poll, election after election, there is
 MA> an absolute unwillingness on the part of the majority to
 MA> even consider voting for someone in a third party. 
 MA> US Representative Ron Paul is a classic example.  He won
 MA> reelection as a Republican congressman by wide margins time
 MA> and time again in his congressional district then, upset
 MA> over failures of his own party to respond to pledges to
 MA> balance the budget, he bolted the party and ran for
 MA> President on a third party ticket.  His support, in his own
 MA> congressional district, dropped from 71% in his last
 MA> congressional election to less than 2%, in the same
 MA> district, running for President. Now, rejoining the major
 MA> party, he has been elected again to Congress.
IOW, the public prefers to expend its votes on placement of
a competent citizen in position of effectiveness, but will
not expend the same votes to place the same individual in a
position in which 1) he will be ineffective or, at best, a
lame duck or 2) such a vote enables a liberal victory by
splitting conservatives. 
 MA> An amazing example of public attitudes. 
Actually, I find such political sophistication reassuring.
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