Kerim Aydin wrote: > On Sun, 14 Jun 2009, Alex Smith wrote: >>> I'll amend that; If elected, I pledge not to let material bribes made to >>> myself (or persons I specify) while I hold office (e.g. assets, votes on >>> proposals, props, or promises of same) affect whom I promote; I can >>> terminate this pledge if I am not elected, or during the next election for >>> this office. -G. >>> >> I call for judgement on the statement "G. made a pledge in the >> above-quoted message." >> >> Arguments: Is "If elected, I pledge" the same as "I pledge that, if >> elected" (adjusting for grammar)? Arguably, this attempted pledge wasn't >> created because it was an attempt to create a pledge in the future, >> rather than agree to one now. > > Gratuitous: > > Good question. Nothing slippery here, I intended this to be a pledge now, > but one that didn't have any effect on me if I was not elected.
Gratuitous: contracts, including pledges, generally don't require public messages. It's possible to make a pledge to a-d, or by private email. If G.'s intent was to make a pledge immediately, then that's probably what happened. Or does that not work anymore now that pledges are always public contracts?
