Poll finds 18 percent of voters undecided

This just doesn't even compute to me.



Poll finds 18 percent of voters undecided

By LIZ SIDOTI
Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON (AP) -- With Wall Street in turmoil and the economy hurting, whichever presidential candidate convinces a swath of persuadable voters that he gets it - and can be trusted to lead the country back to fiscal stability - could well win the White House.

A recent AP-Yahoo News poll found that 18 percent of likely voters are up for grabs - undecided or willing to change their minds - little more than five weeks before Americans choose between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

A large chunk of these voters say they are hurting on a personal level from the country's economic woes, and, like everyone else, they say the economy is the top issue. Most haven't decided who would best solve their problems as president; neither candidate has an advantage on handling the economy.

Simply put: Most of these voters are looking for a better life and a leader to help make it happen - and most haven't found what they seek in Obama or McCain.

"There's a person out there who could inspire change, mend the ways of the system and start fixing the economy, but I don't think these two are up to the task," said Rick Villiere, 39, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. A married father of two children under age 3, he feels the tug of economic turmoil and says: "It's impossible to get ahead."

It's difficult simply to stay afloat, says Cristy Jackson, 29, of Hazel Green, Ala. She's on disability, her husband was laid off and they have two kids. "I don't have faith in anyone on the economy," she says, adding that neither Obama - "not experienced enough" - nor McCain - "he doesn't care about people like me who are not even middle class" - is likely to help her family.

Tough times, tough crowd.

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AP_YAHOO_POLL_THE_PERSUADABLES?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

I won't believe it until I see the finding reported by other polls.

Agreed, I don't see how anyone could not be leaning one way or another, but it seems to me that is a rather low number. I know if I'm wrong, DUers will be right in to correct me, though! :rofl:

But yeah, how ignorant do you have to be at this point to not have a preference? It's a little scary, IMHO.

to not appreciate the difference between the two candidates by now.

There are a lot of poeple who over the past 20 years or so have grown more and more overall skeptical of both parties. Many of these people that I've met generally vote democratic when they vote, but they just don't have any faith in the overall system itself.

They're not undecided because they don't agree with what Obama says. They're undecided because they think both parties are corrupt, and the system is broken. They simply don't believe a word that either party says at this point, so it's hard for them to see past that.

However, i've spoken to a number and the feeling I get is that people are leaning towards actually believing in Obama. they WANT to believe the hype, but they're afraid they'll get burned.

people hemming and hawing is mind-boggling to me.

I think they are voting for Obama, they just don't want to be "outed" just yet...;-)

Most of the people I know who don't like either side, are chronic non-voters. Let's hope the same is true with this batch.

Its too late in the game for this BS, and its the Bradley Effect.

I love this one:

"
It's difficult simply to stay afloat, says Cristy Jackson, 29, of Hazel Green, Ala. She's on disability, her husband was laid off and they have two kids. "I don't have faith in anyone on the economy," she says, adding that neither Obama - "not experienced enough" - nor McCain - "he doesn't care about people like me who are not even middle class" - is likely to help her family.
"

It means that perhaps Obama's message of McCain being "out of touch" got through to her (either that, or she generally feels that way about Republicans), and yet she still won't consider Obama who probably says the words 'middle class' 9,000 times a day. If he's not experienced enough now then its doubtful he'll get enough in 40+ days to change your mind.

Do you want to take the chance on the crusty, unstable veteran who phoned it in his entire career and doesn't really show an interest in the job? Or do you want the well-trained, eager newcomer who has spent many years outside of Washington dealing with the very issues that affect you?

Typical voter behavior is to first examine the incumbent and to determine if he/she is deserving of a second term. If the incumbent is found wanting, then they evaluate the challenger to determine if he/she is a better alternative.

With John McCain being cast in the role of the incumbent, I think it means that voters are trying to decide if his "maverick" label is real or complete bullshit. And then they'll decide if they like Obama better.

This isn't entirely bad news. The longer it takes to make a decision, the more likely voters are to break for the challenger.

When I read this article, I couldn't help but wonder what planet this reporter was living on, so
I had to do a little research.

This is from one of the early articles in which Obama is painted as bitter, and Liz Sidoti brings donuts for McSame:

McCain's moderators, the AP's Ron Fournier and Liz Sidoti, greeted McCain with a box of Dunkin' Donuts. "We spend quite a bit of time with you on the back of the Straight Talk Express asking you questions, and what we've decided to do today was invite everyone else along on the ride," Sidoti explained. "We even brought you your favorite treat."

McCain opened the offering. "Oh, yes, with sprinkles!" he said.

Sidoti passed him a cup. "A little coffee with a little cream and a little sugar," she said.

The entire article is an Obama smear job:

At a luncheon for the editors hosted by the Associated Press, AP Chairman Dean Singleton quizzed Obama about whether he would send more troops to Afghanistan, where "Obama bin Laden is still at large?"

"I think that was Osama bin Laden," the candidate answered.

"If I did that, I'm so sorry!" Singleton said.

"This," Obama told the editors, is "part of the exercise that I've been going through over the last 15 months."

Bitter, are we?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/14/AR2008041402633_pf.html

I'll have a little cream with my bullshit please?

(PS.-Although I appear to be a newbie, I spent a lot of time here in 2004. I've been resting up for the home stretch!
Note: Skinner, et al, please look at my previous account, and determine if my earlier posts would apply, so I can post asap.)

is a complete and utter idiot and ought to have their right to vote revoked.

both sides for many months. As someone else said, maybe these are the people who won't vote, period.