The tactical ballot, looking only to the election at hand, drives reduction politics. This system reaches perfection with a polarised and entrenched electorate, and the narrowest range of choices - two.
The truly strategic ballot is progressive, looking to the next election. These stray votes purposely "lose" so that their masters become prizes to be captured by vote-pandering shifts and favours in major party policy. This small fraction of deviant voters drive long-term political change.
Vote for a loser now and just watch the big parties fall over each other to absorb his supporters for next election.
|