[ExI] elections again; was [Time Magazine: Person of the Year: Putin(!), my vote instead:Anna Politkovskaja]

[MB]

Harvey writes:
> Pretending to register for a party that one doesn't really believe in, and
> then sabotaging the other party's vote is dishonest (or misleading at best).
> I belive most voters would refuse to do this on moral grounds.  There is no
> paradox why most people don't use game theory to elect leaders.  The
> elections are not a game.  They are intended to poll the opinion of the
> populous.
>
> Using the system to do anything other than represent one's opinion violates
> the principal of the thing, and may even be illegal.  I expect a good lawyer
> could argue that this practice constituted fraud and election tampering.
> Registering as a member of a party to sabotage it rather than support it
> might be considered fraud.  If a number of people agreed to do this plan, it
> might be considered conspiracy.  I don't know how the election ballots are
> exactly worded, but voting for someone not your own choice but to disrupt the
> system could be a violation of what one signs and submits during the process.
> Clearly, the intent is to disrupt the true polling of the party's opinions,
> so on the basis of intent alone, it would be attempted election tampering.
>

So what to do when the *state* one lives in has removed the party of ones choice
from the ballot?  There's a two-party-only setup in my area unless one can show
(subject to those two party's approval) sufficient voters and *money* to get back on
the ballot.

Frankly, I'm getting very tired of voting for a least objectionable candidate. I'd
like to be positively inclined toward a candidate.  Instead I find myself often
voting *against* a candidate.

I'm not a gamer. I'm just discouraged.

Regards,
MB