Oz, I have to disagree with you. Had TalkBoard decided that a runner up would replace anyone elected during the year in which he became runner up, it would not matter that Doc received a higher vote this time.

This was before you joined so you might not have read the discussions we had on this question, but that was one of the two possibilities we considered.

I believe there were three factors which influenced most of us to choose, instead, to follow the course that we did:

1. FewMiles, by being the runner up in 2004, would have replaced anyone -- including someone elected in 2003 -- according to Randy's announcement in 2004. By taking the route that we did, we were following an already established precedent.

2. We felt that by having the latest runner up being the one to be appointed, we were giving the FlyerTalk membership its choice as shown in the most recent election.

3. By not allowing any replacement to be appointed after the date for a new election had been set, but instead making it an elected term, we were going even further along these lines.