A plea to all the undecided voters

[Friar]

MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY!!!!!

What are these people still thinking about? It's time they make up their mind.

"Oh, I don't know... I don't like this about Kerry and that about Bush. I just can't chose!"

Give me a freaking break. It's time you make up your minds people!

Sorry I just had to rant

[Nym90]

MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY!!!!!

What are these people still thinking about? It's time they make up their mind.

"Oh, I don't know... I don't like this about Kerry and that about Bush. I just can't chose!"

Give me a freaking break. It's time you make up your minds people!

Sorry I just had to rant

Well, seeing as my significant other is an undecided voter, I can provide some insight on her thought processes.

She doesn't like Bush. She voted for him 4 years ago (although she literally made up her mind while she was standing in the voting booth) but thinks that the economy is not in good shape, is upset about the deficit, and while she supported the war in Iraq, doesn't think that Bush has handled it well. So she would like to fire Bush, and would have voted for Edwards in a heartbeat.

She likes Kerry's positions on the issues better, but doesn't trust him. She doesn't think he's the right man for the job. So on the issues, she favors Kerry, but she doesn't trust him, just as she didn't trust Gore 4 years ago.

I see a lot of people bash undecided voters on this board from time to time, both Democrats and Republicans alike, and frankly it gets a little tiring. I know you don't mean it on a personal level, but there are a lot of people who are genuinely undecided for good reasons. They agree with each side about equally on the issues, they agree with one guy more on the issues but think the other has better character, or they just genuinely don't have enough time to bother to research the issues yet (believe it or not, politics is not the most important thing in the world to a lot of people! I know, hard to believe, given how important it is to all of us). My girlfriend is like this as well; she usually waits until a few days before the election and then sits down and researches the positions of the candidates in depth for a few hours and then makes her choice. She did watch the debates and thought Kerry did better overall, so I think she's leaning that way for now (keeping my fingers crossed, she likes to torture me by telling me she'll never say who she voted for....grrr...). But when you think about it, there is no reason to know now who you are going to vote for, as long as you know by election day. Might as well use up all of your available time before coming to a decision.

[zachman]

I think most undecideds just don't want to face the fact that they are dissapointed with both candidates.

[A18]

I will never be an undecided voter two weeks out of an election

[??????????]

I don't believe their is actually a undecided person, ever.

[shankbear]

I haven't decided if there really are undecided voters.  Maybe they are undecided simply to be the center of so much unwarranted attention.  They have no convictions upon which to stake their ground.  They are firmly on the fence.  Get a backbone. Crap or get off the pot.

[J. J.]

I'm going to continue my contrarian position.

I have no objection to anyone wishing to make an informed decision.

[Gustaf]

Oh, geez...just b/c you yourself is a partisan hack doesn't mean that everyone else has to be.

It's not that strange to be undecided.

[TheCommentator]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Why would she go into the voting booth in the first place?

But seriously I can see where you are coming from.

[TomC]

The undecideds are waiting to see who looks like a winner. They are the type that don't like supporting a loser regardless of where they are on the issues. They unfortunately look at campaigning as the game it appears to be and want to root for a winner. Since this race has been seesawing and the media will keep it close to the end, they haven't made a commitment- and most will go into telection day waiting to see who's leading.

Just my guess.

[Mort from NewYawk]

People don't like Bush and they don't like Kerry.

They're allowed. Neither Bush nor Kerry is that likeable.

[Defarge]

A Daily Show clip about undecideds is quite funny.
http://www.comedycentral.com/mp/play.jhtml?reposid=/multimedia/tds/bee/bee_9040.html

[J-Mann]

MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY!!!!!

What are these people still thinking about? It's time they make up their mind.

"Oh, I don't know... I don't like this about Kerry and that about Bush. I just can't chose!"

Give me a freaking break. It's time you make up your minds people!

Sorry I just had to rant

I agree.  It's alright to be undecided before the conventions or before the debates, but during the early part of the general campaign season, some firm opinions of both candidates had better be forming in your mind.

What I really resent is that the media treats these people as if they're so cautious and considerate, and indeed elections can hinge on their final decisions of who to support.  But most undecideds are the lazy and politically uneducated who naturally can't make up their minds based on the miniscule political knowledge they have.  So they wait until they're in the voting booth and flip a quarter to see who they'll vote for.  That's ridiculous behavior, yet the media worships at their feet, and candidates must appeal to them.

My advice to people has always been to take a few minutes to read a news-magazine or get on the internet and look at some of the basic, fundamental stances of the two candidates.  From there you can get a feel for which candidate you're closer to.  It's too bad that most people simply don't put even that kind of effort into this.

[raymondluxuryyacht]

Hi, this is my first post, and I am looking forward to discussing politics with all of you.  I would have considered myself an undecided voter until last week.  The reason I would have done so is because I do not really like either candidate, nor do I completely agree with either of them.  So for many undecides, it is just finding the lesser of two evils.

[A18]

Welcome to the board,

Who did you decide to vote for?

[raymondluxuryyacht]

I haven't mailed in my absentee ballot yet, but I believe I will vote for Bush.

[J. J.]

I haven't mailed in my absentee ballot yet, but I believe I will vote for Bush.

I agree with your current leaning, but will defend your right to change your mind.

I can only encourage you read the posts.