Word: slates
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Clem, who received the support of the Cambridge Convention in 1975, says that he is not abandoning progressive politics in striking out on his own, but only freeing himself from the slate's restrictions. His hands, he says, were tied by being associated so closely with CC '75. Clem feels it inhibited his ability to form coalitions on the council and limited his overall flexibility in dealing with the city's problems...
While objecting to the "loyalty oath" aspects of running with the slate, he stresses that ideologically he differs little from his former CC cohorts, having parted with them on less than a dozen votes in two years on the Council...
This system encourages a variety of strategies, most notably slate politics. Liberals can field a large number of candidates without fatally diluting their strength by grouping under the Cambridge Convention banner and capitalizing on their cross-over vote strength. Since every ballot will eventually count for some candidate, left-leaning voters can vote for someone with little chance of winning, and still protect their interests...
Candidates, whether they are on a slate or not, always campaign for the "number one vote" since two-thirds of the ballots generally don't transfer. There is a minimum of strategic maneuvering because on one ever understands all of the options. Whatever else it does, proportional representation insures that the bookies will never make a killing...
...called independents--these old-style incumbents riding their conservative friendship-building ways into office election after election. If Cambridge was a normal town the "independents" would be the liberal, reform-minded mavericks, and this group of all white, all male traditional politicians would be the ones on the slate...