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%POLITICAL CONTROVERSY ISSUES SELF DEFENSE WIN LOSE+960519
%GETTING YES TOGETHER RESOLVE CONFLICT VIOLENCE SIN+960519
    %PRIORITY VOTE SETTING PROCESS PLATFORM VICTORY 960519

     People  who would like to see the the political party
of their choice support their controversial proposals have
often  sought  to gain support by filling  platforms  with
lists of "good"  WIN/LOSE language about their issues.  In
self defense many responsible people have walked away from
the  platform  process and platforms;   and  have  ignored
them.   The victories of  getting  such WIN/LOSE  language
included in platforms has been tragically hollow.

     Adopting rules of procedure which on the surface seem
to facilitate the continued inclusion of WIN/LOSE language
in  prioritized platforms is likely  to  elicit  defensive
voting   patters  which  will  prevent  the  inclusion  of
controversial WIN/LOSE  language  in prioritize platforms.
Responsible  people  who  might otherwise be  inclined  to
support  efforts to find WIN/WIN language to  resolve  the
conflicts   between  extremes---are  likely   hide   their
sympathies and vote against what they might have otherwise
have supported.

     The key to  success  is to articulate formulations of
questions, affirmations and proposals which are WIN/WIN in
character.   WIN/WIN language  satisfies  people  on  both
sides  of traditional conflicts---and so helps to  resolve
traditional conflicts.   The key to conflict resolution is
to develop language which attracts widespread support from
people who have  been  on  opposing  sides of a  conflict.
Widespread support  cannot  be  gotten  by  coercion or by
procedural tricks.   Coercion and procedural tricks elicit
rebellion, not support.

     In  a  political party the minorities cannot  advance
their  causes  in  the  absence  of  their   participating
authentically  in  earnest  efforts  to  develop   WIN/WIN
language  which  relates to their concerns.   The  use  of
voting  procedures  which  ignore negative  votes  in  the
adoption  of  platform planks---will encourage people  who
would  otherwise  support  a  controversial  proposal   to
withhold  support,   and  perhaps even  vote  against  the
controversial proposal.

     Convention  delegates'   voting  patterns  change  in
response to how their votes will be used.    If procedures
for the adoption planks   DO   take  into account negative
votes,  then possible supporters are likely to be up front
about their being supportive.  If adoption procedures   DO
NOT    take into  account negative votes,    then possible
supporters are likely to remain "closet"  supporters;   or
maybe  even  vote  against  what they would  support  were
negative votes taken into account.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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