Mexican Election = Mexican Civil War?

[Lancer]

The right wing guy beat the left wing guy by .05. The left guy says he'll contest the result "in the courts and in the streets".

Civil War?

MtG...

[Spiffor]

Was there a civil war last time the candidates demamnded a recount in the US? In Italy?

[Lancer]

No, but this guy says he'll take it to the streets. Get it? Tough talk...

[GePap]

There won;t be any significant violence.

The problem is that the margin of difference is so small and there were enough votes not counted for whatever reason to possibly tilt the election.

Both candidates claiming victory before the final results came out was bad on both sides. Its for the Mexican Courts to decide the merit of the PRD's case. At the same time, whomever is found the victory will have won with a miniscule lead and should not consider themselves to have some great mandate. When you win with less then 1% of the vote difference from third place and you could not get 40% of the total vote you should not act as if you have some great mandate.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Nobody would act that way, since neither one would have a majority in Congress, they would have to try to create a coalition.

As far as war goes, no way. Widespread violence? Not likely either.

[Lancer]

Thanks for the posts...

What do you guys think he meant by contesting the result in the streets?

[MichaeltheGreat]

Protests, showing up, having his supporters be a visible force, etc. blah blah - there's a long history of political thuggery and manipulation and Zedillo's election in '94 was almost certainly fixed. With results this close, nobody likes to walk away and concede defeat, and there's certainly no trust in the parties or the political system to do much for the people.

[DanS]

Originally posted by Lancer
The right wing guy beat the left wing guy by .05. The left guy says he'll contest the result "in the courts and in the streets".

Civil War?

MtG...

More like a 0.57% difference. 220,000 votes. I've participated in closer races.

This demonstrates that getting rid of the electoral college in the US wouldn't get rid of contests of elections.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by GePap
The problem is that the margin of difference is so small and there were enough votes not counted for whatever reason to possibly tilt the election.

Hmmmm....

Where have i heard this before?

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by DanS


More like a 0.57% difference. 220,000 votes. I've participated in closer races.

Sure, I'd wager that every active here voter has.

[GePap]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
Nobody would act that way, since neither one would have a majority in Congress, they would have to try to create a coalition.

So which do you think is more probable, PAN and PRI, or PRI and PRD?

[DanS]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel
Sure, I'd wager that every active here voter has.

On the campaign of the losing side. There was a Supreme Court case and everything.

[Lancer]

FOX just reported that the conservative guy won, so now we'll see what the lefty guy meant.

[Lancer]

The lefty is whipping up the lefty mob which is 'rallying in the streets'. He's accusing the righty of cheating. The international watchers say no...

[chequita guevara]

With three parties, Mexico needs IRV.

[Lancer]

IRV? Is he your lawyer?

[chequita guevara]

Instant Runoff Voting.

[Lancer]

Yet the one side is ahead, why would they agree to another vote? Is that what you mean by 'runoff vote'?

[chequita guevara]

Ideally, you want your leader to have more than 50% of the vote. Regardless of whether the PAN or PRD candidate wins, almost twice as many people voted for someone besides the one who won.

Unless they want to have a weak president, which might be the case. Better to have most power in the legislature than the executive anyway.

[LordShiva]

Leftists losing

[Lancer]

Che, thanks for the explanation.

LS, I don't really know what each guy stands for so I'll not party yet. What concerns me is if the lefty, who appears to be rabble rousing, starts a war down there to obtain power.

[Winston]

LordShiva

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Ideally, you want your leader to have more than 50% of the vote. Regardless of whether the PAN or PRD candidate wins, almost twice as many people voted for someone besides the one who won.

Unless they want to have a weak president, which might be the case. Better to have most power in the legislature than the executive anyway.

Here's a mo' betta explanation:

(1) Everyone votes for a first choice and a second choice.
(2) Whichever candidates gets the fewest amount of votes is out.
(3) Those ballots cast for the third-place guy are recounted, using the unsuccessful voters' second choices.

For example, let's say Theban, Lancer and Zkribbler are running for President.
Theban gets 7 million first-choice votes.
Lancer gets 6 million first-choice votes.
And poor ol' Zkribbler only gets 5 million first-choice votes.

Zkribbler's out of the race. The 5 million votes cast for him are recounted, using the voters' second choice. Of those 5 million votes:
1 million second-choice votes were cast for Theban.
4 million second-choice votes were cast for Lancer.

So Theban's total is 7 million + 1 million = 8 million
Lancer's total is 6 million + 4 million = 10 million.

[Lancer]

So...it's a system of election by which the creme always floats to the top.

I'm against it.

[chequita guevara]

It's a system where you can alway vote for the guy you like, without making sure you help elect the guy you hate.

Anyway, it looks like some hinky **** was going on during the election. In Mexico Nevar!

[LordShiva]

It's a system prone to abuse by strategic voting.

[chequita guevara]

Most people aren't smart enough to figure out how to do that, and it will more than likely backfire in your face.

Funny you never hear about the Australians complaining about it.

[LordShiva]

But you do hear the French complaining about it.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
With three parties, Mexico needs IRV.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by LordShiva
But you do hear the French complaining about it.

We don't have the same system.

We have ordinary runoffs, not IRV