Undecided voters are infinitely cynical AND infinitely gullible

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Intellectual cynics see the falsity inherent in all perception and thus tend to believe nothing... except the framework of reason that tells them all input is suspect in the first place.

Dumb-ass cynics see the falsity inherent in all perception as cause to devalue reason itself and they tend to believe everything. (If all input is flawed then the gut feeling is the only reliable compass because it is internal... of the self. Colbert-style. If it feels good, believe it.)

There are people who can watch Keith Olbermann at 8PM, switch to Hannity at 9PM and believe every word of both programs.

There are real people who will vote for Obama because, "Things are so screwed up maybe it's time we gave a muslim terrorist a shot."

Since the only sector of the electorate remaining in play is the most irrational segment of the population all the rules go out the window during the last week.

At this point it really doesn't matter what Obama says. He just needs to look good, be calm and not fall on his face (literally).

It's all image now.

[riqster]

1. Anyone who is still undecided at this point

....must truly have shit for brains.

[Pattib]

2. Thanks for that. Saw a lady on T.V. this weekend and she said.."I still can't decide". I call B.S.

on that. Think of all the attention that is paid to these "undecideds". I think they know, and have always known who they are voting for. Attention seeking shit for brains.

[Essene]

7. i fully expect most are conservative-leaning folks

some will go the reverse-bradley route in the voting booth, finally concluding they really will vote for him regardless of race baiting and all that fear stuff which they probably know is all bogus deep inside.

many will just break for mccain at the last moment.

most wont show up.

[H2O Man]

3. Some no doubt are.

From phone-banking at the local headquarters, the vast majority of the "undecideds" that I've spoken to are senior citizens, who are in the habit of taking in a large amount of information, and deciding "late" who to vote for, regardless of party affiliation. The presidential and vice presidential debates played a significant role in helping them to identify what their options are. Most of those I spoke to are leaning towards Obama.

On the other hand, a statistic that fully supports your OP is that nationally, of those who are "undecided" in mid-October, 78% say that political ads on TV are a major source of information that helps them determine who to cast their vote for. I find that disturbing.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

9. You're right. I shouldn't denigrate the few principled undecided.

Some people have an incomprehensible but not altogether worthless process.

But I think most late undecideds use data only to empower/rationalize emotion, so all rational input is wasted on them.

In actual votes delivered, Obama might be best served to spend his 30 minute infomercial playing with his kids. There's probably nothing he can *say* that will move the votes of people who think they are undecided.

[Ron Green]

4. As the pool of "undecided" voters shrinks, yet the 24-hour news cycle remains.

Therein lies part of the problem.

[casus belli]

5. I think David Sedaris said it best:

To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?”

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.


Full story here:
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2008/10/27/081027sh_shouts_sedaris

[Forkboy]

8. LOL...David says a lot of things right.

:rofl:

[jpgray]

6. I think you just described the press corps.