Here we are with the absolutes that only scum can have. Why would we flip ash if Joth flips scum. It'd be a ballsy and unnecessary bus so I don't think we'd wager that chance until some investigative results indicated we should.
If I thought they would, I might consider embracing your 1v1...These 1v1s are basically always bad for town....I'm also not moving my vote.
So basically, if he thought this could work out to his advantage he'd take the bait. Also note the wishy washiness of the "almost" always statement. Instead of saying these are never good for town he's implying that maybe this one right here actually is.
I get what he's trying to say but how he says it seems telling to me. I don't see how anyone reads this as anything but scum. I'd like to see your interpretation of it, though.
I think you're completely misunderstanding this interaction. Joth was saying, "If I flip town, the town won't exile you." He was basically telling ash that he believes that if he accepted the one-on-one and Ash won, ash would find some way to weasel out of actually getting exiled, and given that he wouldn't be eligible to be exiled again until day 4 anyway, he'd have plenty of time to do it. In between we'd had all manner of night actions and things that would present a stronger case, or that scum!ash could spin as reasons not to follow through with town's promise to exile him if joth flipped town.
Well this interpretation is exactly what led me to consider that they might both be scum because it still reeks of knowing Ash's alignment. As town with ash coming in like this the arguments would appear more questioning than diminishing. Also, in the event they are both scum this comes off as a some Ericksonian hypnotism for everyone else.
I see this 1v1 as forcing us to choose at two forks. Fork 1: are either players likely scum? Fork 2: if so which one and why? if not who else is and why?
Call me lazy but I chose yes at Fork 1 and now maybe I am trying to logically rationalize an emotional decision in Fork 2.