Everyone is so concerned with the undecided voter

[sandyshoes17]

I think they are non voters. I know a lot of people who talk a lot of shit but never make it to the polls. These people are so non curious people they don't concern themselves with elections. We all know people like this, they just live and don't bother themselves with politics. Anyone who doesn't know who to vote for is someone who doesn't follow politics very closely and probably won't make it to the polls especially if the lines are too long.

[JI7]

1. no, what you describe is different from the undecided voters, undecided voters usually feel they are

more important and above it all . but they end up voting whchever way seems popular at the moment. things lke the whore media propping of romney could make them vote for him.

[iemitsu]

2. makes some sense

look at the states that are considered to be in play. are they states with strong traditions of anti-intellectualism?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

3. So what does that mean?

That because, say....Alabama is solid red, they are geniuses?

[iemitsu]

4. well, no.

i intended to suggest that enough non-curious people to keep pollsters from predicting an election outcome meant middling numbers of this type of individual. enough to keep us guessing but not a majority.
i used the phrase, anti-intellectual to describe them but did not mean to suggest they were either dumb or smart. anti-intellectual suggests (to me) one who possesses folk wisdom or common sense or street smarts (and probably superstition too), not stupid but also not formally well-educated. they can be found in both the countryside and in cities. anti-intellectuals are suspicious of those with formal educations and suspicious of fancy talking politicians and salespeople who might try to bamboozle them. they are types who might not share their opinions with a pollster.
i suspect there are many like this in alabama perhaps more than in any swing state but anti-intellectualism is entrenched everywhere in the united states. it is part of our national identity and character.
i did not mean to insult anyone from any state and i'm sorry if i did.

[Springslips]

8. I was insulted ttytt

Not that I will hold it against you, not that I have thin skin.

Your thesis, though, smacks of regional elitism. You know the kind of crap that people in California or in New York City are more sophisticated then us in the "fly over." I've been to NYC, I've been to LA, and I can tell you that there are gobs of morons in those local--there are some world class anti-intellectuals in those cities--loads!

( I know you didn't say that exactly, no strawman intended, but it does smack of that.)

I think a better theory is that simply swing states are places where the parties memberships are equal which leave the election up to anti-intellectual undecideds. In Ohio, it is due to a strong tradition of Republicanism that goes back to 1860. Dems came with the Italian railroad workers, unionism, and rising education rates, leading to the 40-40 split today. This is the same for many Midwest swings.

[iemitsu]

9. sorry to have sounded that way. i didn't intend to.

i do live on the west coast and can assure you that there are plenty of anti-intellectuals here, as there are everywhere in the untied states. it is something our culture promotes (though, IMO, it is not in our best interest) and celebrates.
our folk heros usually reinforce the message that brawn and folk wisdom are better than ivory tower smarts.
i'm attempting to clarify my thoughts in the hope that you will feel less bad or insulted.
sorry.

[Springslips]

10. Meh

I can take it; just a bit of a critique. Everyone needs someone to tell us how we sound sometimes. We are all good.

[iemitsu]

14. thanks.

[debkamaine]

5. It just occurred to me...

Republicans have been busy making it harder to vote on election day. If your address is incorrect, if you haven't registered, etc. will find you unable to vote. It is probably the undecided voters who have not checked to make sure that they can vote. This makes them even less important.

Personally, I would be very embarrassed to not know the difference between Bush-type leadership versus Obama. If you are that stupid, your right to vote should be taken away!

[debkamaine]

6. The

Stupids!

[Maximumnegro]

7. Only the media is concerned

O team has been totally focused on registering voters and ground game. The debate for Obama was for shoring up the base and reassuring voters already leaning to him.

[NeelyCreely]

11. some of us take time to make decisions...

not everyone rushes to judgement. My father taught me to take time to think about the issues, pray if it helped, and when I was ready to make my decision, make it.

imade mine last night.

[lunatica]

13. You admit to not knowing a fucking thing of what's been happening!?

Do facts factor anywhere in your reality?

[JRLeft]

12. There are no undecided voters.

You can tell who they are voting for by the way they ask questions.