This method isn't really that bad, but: 1) I don't think any serious Condorcet advocates think this is a better way to resolve circular ties than ranked pairs or beatpath.
2) Since it is a Condorcet-compliant method, it shares all the weaknesses that all Condorcet methods have in the eyes of the IRV advocates (i.e. the weak center winner). I don't think an IRV supporter would see this as a compromise. 3) Once you've had to explain the idea of a pairwise contest, is this method really any simpler to explain than ranked pairs? I don't think so. In short, it's an interesting idea, but as soon as you pass the Condorcet criteria you're far away from IRV-land. -Adam ---- Election-methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info