Comments on: Rigging the Irish Election Part 5 – Election day http://www.mulley.net/2007/10/19/rigging-the-irish-election-part-5-embargo-day/ Invisible people have invisible rights Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:55:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: John Handelaar http://www.mulley.net/2007/10/19/rigging-the-irish-election-part-5-embargo-day/comment-page-1/#comment-419819 John Handelaar Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:50:08 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/2007/10/19/rigging-the-irish-election-part-5-embargo-day/#comment-419819 Welllllll, yeaaaaaaahhhhhh, but you can pretty much rule out 3-member constituencies from that swing vulnerability. On an entirely unrelated note, noticed how there are more of those than there used to be? Welllllll, yeaaaaaaahhhhhh, but you can pretty much rule out 3-member constituencies from that swing vulnerability.

On an entirely unrelated note, noticed how there are more of those than there used to be?

]]> By: Antoin O Lachtnain http://www.mulley.net/2007/10/19/rigging-the-irish-election-part-5-embargo-day/comment-page-1/#comment-419771 Antoin O Lachtnain Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:12:30 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/2007/10/19/rigging-the-irish-election-part-5-embargo-day/#comment-419771 You are assuming that voting is based on rational choice and that arguments can make a difference. In general this is just not true. The vast majority of people just vote the way they voted the last time, no matter what. The only thing you can do is get your own party or personal vote out. A smaller group of people, the 'swing' voters, they do listen to opinions and evaluate their choices. The key is to find these swing voters and to concentrate efforts upon them. The unique thing about Irish politics is that swing voters dispersed across the country can influence the outcome; in the UK or in the US, only the swing voters in a small number of swing constituencies can make any difference. Antoin. You are assuming that voting is based on rational choice and that arguments can make a difference. In general this is just not true. The vast majority of people just vote the way they voted the last time, no matter what. The only thing you can do is get your own party or personal vote out.

A smaller group of people, the ’swing’ voters, they do listen to opinions and evaluate their choices. The key is to find these swing voters and to concentrate efforts upon them. The unique thing about Irish politics is that swing voters dispersed across the country can influence the outcome; in the UK or in the US, only the swing voters in a small number of swing constituencies can make any difference.

Antoin.

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