69 million page views

preferential voting

Reader comment on item: MEF's Surprising Straw Poll on Trump

Submitted by Anne Julienne (Australia), May 1, 2016 at 00:56

As I've remarked in an earlier comment, I hate the compulsory voting we have here in Australia. However, I *do* like the preferential voting system and I'm thinking such a system might have served the Republican Party well in the primaries.

I note that Ted Cruz gained 10 of 13 delegates from the recent Virginia convention. As I understand this very complex system, these delegates are now pledged to vote for him in the second round *should there be a contested election*. At present, they must all vote for Trump on the first round because he gained the most votes at the primary back in 1mar. At that time, there were 5 alternatives to Trump, so 65% of the voters *did not want Trump*. So this 10 out of 13 is pretty representative of the voting public, given that Cruz is the only viable alternative to Trump left in the race.

It would have been interesting to see who would have gained 2nd and 3rd preferences in that vote. It would seem to me that Rubio's and Carson's preferences would have gone to Cruz over Trump but I could be wrong in this.

I note that Daniel would be so disgusted by a Trump triumph that he'd become an Independent instead of a Republican. Would he also vote for Clinton? Would he abstain (if no independent candidate was offered)?

I don't vote at all in US elections, so I can afford to be a casual armchair observer. There are both limitations and advantages to that.

If it did indeed come down to Trump vs Clinton, I'd prefer Trump. I'm basing this a lot on his AIPAC speech which came across as convincing. I'm quite sure Cruz would be much much better but even Trump would be better than Clinton, who would probably deliver something not much different from the last 8 years of Obama.

I have Israel chiefly in mind here. Assuming Netanyahu remains "the only game in town" (as Efraim Inbar has described him) then the future will continue to lie under his moral and political leadership. I'm sure he'd get on very well with either Clinton or Trump but I think Trump has the edge. His AIPAC speech showed that he could listen to the Israeli/Jewish narrative and that he could take enough of it in to be a good partner.

If I were a Jew or an Israeli, I could never trust Clinton.

Until (as they say) the fat lady sings, I'll hold out hope for Cruz but if Trump does win the nomination then I will pray that he can also triumph over Clinton. I know there are polls that say otherwise but voters do swing, after all.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Daniel Pipes replies:

To answer your question: I will not vote for Hillary Clinton. Should Trump be the Republican nominee, I will vote for a third-party candidate, write in, or even sit out this election.

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (53) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
preferential voting [452 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Anne JulienneMay 1, 2016 00:56229192
writing in [57 words]Anne JulienneMay 1, 2016 18:10229192
America: Paperwork and Write-in Capital of the World [260 words]Michael SMay 4, 2016 10:47229192
tax returns [26 words]Anne JulienneMay 7, 2016 03:01229192
The Paper Tiger [90 words]Michael SMay 7, 2016 05:00229192
that does sound like a lot [51 words]Anne JulienneMay 9, 2016 02:07229192
Donald Trump, and The Tower of Paperwork [228 words]Michael SMay 13, 2016 02:46229192
I agree about the paperwork but not on who can save us ... [205 words]Anne JulienneMay 16, 2016 02:35229192
Interesting times ahead [341 words]Michael SMay 20, 2016 03:23229192
I wrote: a "saviour" *in this* [66 words]Anne JulienneMay 22, 2016 19:53229192
1This isn't about Trump; it's about national sovereignty [680 words]Michael SMay 23, 2016 11:00229192
enough with the logorrhoea [26 words]Anne JulienneMay 26, 2016 06:02229192
1I fear the Left more than I fear Trump [139 words]SteinApr 19, 2016 18:23229062
I am surprised [23 words]Tamar KupesteinApr 17, 2016 18:41228994
The wonderful migration [108 words]Michael SMay 22, 2016 11:02228994
1Any Terrorist attack wil help Trump and defeat Hillary [159 words]EdwardApr 12, 2016 13:07228918
No surprise [696 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Gideon RemezApr 12, 2016 12:45228916
Dr. Pipes, what's your opinion regarding Trump's recent statement regarding Syrian 'refugees', that there's plenty of room in Saudi Arabia? [198 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Anon.Apr 12, 2016 08:12228905
The Gingham Trump and the Calico Cruz [386 words]Michael SApr 11, 2016 15:33228886
Trump arouses passions [90 words]Kevin BjornsonApr 11, 2016 13:33228883
Libertarians [77 words]yonasonApr 13, 2016 15:18228883
1Libertarians for Trump [174 words]Kevin BjornsonApr 15, 2016 15:09228883
The Devil you know [52 words]Steven ShermanApr 11, 2016 11:13228881
1Everyone has an opinion [64 words]JohnApr 11, 2016 06:49228875
No permanent safety among the goiim [739 words]Michael SApr 10, 2016 23:12228868
I don't find the poll results surprising at all !! [40 words]CARLOS DESOUZAApr 10, 2016 22:06228867
1he gets about two-fifths of the Republican vote and close to zero of the Democratic one - IRONIC [11 words]MarkApr 10, 2016 18:04228861
1MEF's surprising poll on Donald Trump- response to Mark [189 words]Anne USAApr 12, 2016 12:43228861
I would only add that yes, Trump is essentially a Dem, but the Dems have moved left to socialism. [EOM] [20 words]MarkApr 15, 2016 07:54228861
Win Win Situation For The Left? [119 words]yonasonApr 19, 2016 12:09228861
1Mef's surprising poll on Donald Trump.... The Left has really picked the Republican nominee. response to Yonason [514 words]Anne USAApr 21, 2016 08:26228861
do you prefer the guillotine or the firing squad, monsieur? [301 words]doug schulek-millerApr 10, 2016 17:08228859
Left, Right, Religion, Trump and the Media [613 words]Michael S.Apr 15, 2016 10:37228859
not trusting any would be wise... [343 words]Doug Schulek-MillerApr 18, 2016 01:01228859
Are we better or worse than in 1963? Yes and yes. [827 words]Michael SApr 22, 2016 18:48228859
1Stop destroying the Republican Party NOW. [207 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Michael SApr 10, 2016 16:57228858
Trump, Hillary and the Angel Moroni [428 words]Michael SApr 12, 2016 04:55228858
Vehemently Anti-Democrat [225 words]yonasonApr 10, 2016 16:56228857
1The Missing (Two-part) Viewpoint [280 words]Ron ThompsonApr 10, 2016 16:36228856
A third way [431 words]Michael SApr 14, 2016 14:40228856
We do indeed live in divisive times .. [266 words]Anne JulienneApr 20, 2016 21:16228856
.. i like your god .. [15 words]Anne JulienneApr 21, 2016 03:35228856
God's gender [106 words]Michael SApr 23, 2016 03:42228856
Politics, Religion and History [1515 words]Michael SApr 24, 2016 01:54228856
no criticism (or feminist critique) intended [129 words]Anne JulienneApr 27, 2016 03:53228856
response to "Politics, Religion, and HIstory [376 words]Anne JulienneApr 27, 2016 06:14228856
Religion & Politics -- in US and Australia. Also, Cockney expressions [547 words]Michael SMay 1, 2016 12:09228856
3What's so surprising? [89 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Leon KushnerApr 10, 2016 16:01228852
Tweedle Trump, Tweedle Clinton and Tweedle Obama are apparently our lot in the coming years [901 words]Michael SApr 13, 2016 11:50228852
Your straw poll ... [33 words]TRMApr 10, 2016 16:00228851
Candidates of today leave a lot to be desired. [246 words]Anne.....USAApr 10, 2016 15:52228850
Clinton [64 words]steven LApr 10, 2016 15:41228848
1It isn't due to vehement anti-Hillary sentiments [96 words]Anon.Apr 10, 2016 14:09228846

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)