MrCoffee
01-04-2008, 12:56 PM
Let's say we have two candidates running for a specific office. There are 100 people voting.
Let's say that both candidates A and B get 50 votes each. This means that each one of them gets 50% of the vote.
Change the scenario though, and let's say one of A's supporters converts one of B's. Now the vote is 51 for A and 49 for B.
Candidate A gained 2% of the vote by converting JUST ONE person.
Now let's say instead, A gets one more person to vote, brining the total voters to 101.
Now A has 50.5% of the vote, and B has 49.5% of the vote. Just one percentage point gained.
Why is this important?
Look at Iowa. (Not saying this is the way it is, but let's just say for argument's sake, that it did happen this way.)
85,000 people were expected to show up, but 100,000 people did.
Instead of RP converting people, he brought new people into the election process, thus creating the majority of the increase from 85,000 to 100,000. Let's say he brought 10,000 people in(I know, this is kind of extreme.)
That's 10% of 100,000.
Now lets say he converted those 10,000 out of say, 90,000 instead.
But 11.11% of 90,000. This doesn't include the votes that would have been taken from other candidates, possibly boosting him above others.
Let's say that both candidates A and B get 50 votes each. This means that each one of them gets 50% of the vote.
Change the scenario though, and let's say one of A's supporters converts one of B's. Now the vote is 51 for A and 49 for B.
Candidate A gained 2% of the vote by converting JUST ONE person.
Now let's say instead, A gets one more person to vote, brining the total voters to 101.
Now A has 50.5% of the vote, and B has 49.5% of the vote. Just one percentage point gained.
Why is this important?
Look at Iowa. (Not saying this is the way it is, but let's just say for argument's sake, that it did happen this way.)
85,000 people were expected to show up, but 100,000 people did.
Instead of RP converting people, he brought new people into the election process, thus creating the majority of the increase from 85,000 to 100,000. Let's say he brought 10,000 people in(I know, this is kind of extreme.)
That's 10% of 100,000.
Now lets say he converted those 10,000 out of say, 90,000 instead.
But 11.11% of 90,000. This doesn't include the votes that would have been taken from other candidates, possibly boosting him above others.