By Tribune-Review

Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 8:51 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Many reasons have been proposed to explain Mitt Romney's loss. Some believe that he didn't represent the views of a majority of the Republican Party, so there was not sufficient enthusiasm for him.

There were several more conservative candidates in the primaries, but Romney was easily the most popular moderate. While those wanting a more conservative candidate split their votes, moderates and liberals went with Romney, guaranteeing him a plurality of the Republican electorate. There have been similar results in the past several GOP presidential primaries.

One way to avoid this in the future is for the GOP state primaries to adopt “preference” voting, where voters prioritize their choices. It is currently used in Australia and in some areas of this country. When the top vote-getter achieves less than 50 percent of the first-place votes cast, the rankings of all candidates are considered to determine the winner. There are several methods of making this determination, but they all avoid the outcome of a winner who is unpopular with a majority of voters.

For more information, go to wordiq.com/definition/Preference_voting or do a web search for “preference voting.” If you think it makes sense, contact your local or state GOP committee member and push the idea.

Jim Kelly

Monroeville

1. Kovacevic: The smartest man in hockey
2. Penguins far from satisfied after Game 2
3. Penguins notebook: Malkin makes points run
4. Ex-Steelers QB Batch learns new form of 2-minute drill
5. Motorcyclist dies after crash in Latrobe
6. Behind Crosby’s hat trick, Penguins sneak past Senators
7. Jamie’s Dream Team helps young mother see her children attend prom
8. Pair denied contact once baby born
9. Accrued sick time weighs on city budget
10. Craftsman’s skill, nature ensured loyal following
11. Just hold on, 911 officials say of busy signals, but frustrated callers want explanation

There are currently no comments for this story.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.