Fifth of U.S. Voters Still Undecided-"what's their alternative solution?"

[papau]

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SWING_VOTERS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

A Fifth of U.S. Voters Still Undecided By WILL LESTER

<snip> He said that group could consist of 15 million to 20 million voters.Almost half of voters, 45 percent, in a poll conducted for The Associated Press in mid-December by Ipsos-Public Affairs said they definitely would vote for President Bush, while not quite a third, 31 percent, said they definitely would vote against him. About a fifth, 21 percent, said they would consider voting for someone else....This poll, taken right after the capture of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, showed that Bush's support had increased since November, when people were evenly split whether they were for or against him.Attitudes about Bush were on a roller coaster in the polls through 2003, Ipsos President Thomas Riehle said. They spiked upward after the war with Iraq, declined until mid-fall and then improved with the economy's growth and the capture of Saddam.In the most recent poll, the swing voters were more likely to be younger adults ages 18 and 39, those without college educations and political independents.Other closely divided groups that will be courted heavily during the campaign season are voters in the Midwest, suburban residents and Catholics, according to a Pew analysis done this fall.Hispanics have tended to lean Democratic in past elections, but increasingly are considered swing voters.Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said she will be closely watching to see how swing voters feel about Bush's job performance and whether they think the country is headed in the right direction.In the AP-Ipsos poll, more than half of the undecided voters approved of the job Bush was doing. But in that poll, more than half, 55 percent, of undecided voters said the country was headed down the wrong track.Swing voters are increasingly motivated by which candidate can provide the best solutions to problems, Republican pollster David Winston said."Swing voters have changed in a key way," said Winston. "That's where the Democrats are struggling. You hear these attacks, but what's their alternative solution?"<snip>

[lazarus]

1. absolutely mystifying

How anybody can be "undecided" in the face of someone as polarizing as Bush is just bizarre.

[papau]

2. Folks vote likability - not issues -and if close - then what's alternative

Hillary grows on you and comes up likeable.

Gore, who I think is great - was just not someone about 50% of the folks voting wanted on the TV every night for the next 4 years.

It is something we have to work with (as in why I never will run for office - I do not want to know how a group feels about my "likeability" - and I suspect -as I am not a sales type -that that is a good decision! :-) )

:-)

:toast:

[joanski01]

3. I've had enough of the swing

voters and the undecideds from the 2000 election. They are lazy and uninformed. If they don't know who they want to support, then they sure don't make any contributions to campaigns or go out and do any work. Then they sit in these focus groups after the Presidential debates, get on TV, and then still say they don't know who they are going to vote for.

Meanwhile, the grassroots people do all the work and contribute their time and Social Security money to help campaigns. This seems unfair to me, and I have no respect for them. So there!!!!!!!!!