Delphi Primaries
>>"I know it's vanity: Tinkering around the edges of an electoral system
that is in essence broken, not to mention the mendacity of any system of
so-called "self-determination" that doesn't let you vote with your feet.
But here goes:
The argument sup****ting the "super-duper Tuesday" Presidential primary
system in the United States is that early States have an unfair
influence on subsequent State primaries--it is "fair" to have them all
vote at once. The opposing argument is that staggered primaries allow
little-known political figures to focus their limited resources on
smaller campaigns where voters can make more in-depth judgments on the
issues rather than mere name recognition or mass media buzz.
There is actually a third way to conduct primaries that provides the
fairness offered by both approaches without the unfairness of either:
Delphi Primaries
Delphi primaries are conducted iteratively, converging on the
candidates in a manner similar to the Delphi Method of conferencing
developed by RAND Cor****ation. The Delphi Method , in brief:
1) Anonymous debate.
2) Anonymous vote on the issues.
3) Publication of vote results.
4) Go to step 1 unless the vote is little changed from the prior vote.
The goal of the Delphi Method is to allow minority opinions to emerge
from suppression by the Zeitgeist if they merit more serious
consideration.
In similar manner a Delphi Primary would allow little known candidates
to emerge from the Zeitgeist-selected field if the issues they address
merit more serious consideration:
1) Public debate for a month.
2) Anonymous vote on the candidates on the first Tuesday of the month.
3) Publication of the vote results.
4) Go to step 1 unless it is time for the party's convention.
Now, please be kind. I did try to emphasize at the outset this is
tinkering around the edges of an insane Zeitgeist."<<
Posted by James Bowery on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 10:19 PM in
Comments (5) | Tell-a-Friend
http://majorityrights.com/index.php/weblog/comments/delphi_primaries/
