Unexpected Indecision At The Times

The NY Times chats with a few undecided voters, and manages to surprise us. The first person they offer voted for Bush in 200, but is now hesitating. However, the next three people they talk to are Gore supporters who are leaning towards Bush - don't tell ABC News!

Let's meet the former non-believers who are still skeptics:

It seems like every day, I'm changing my mind," said Victoria Lichtman, 50, of Delray Beach, Fla. Ms. Lichtman said the president, whom she did not support in 2000, had done a poor job on the environment, as Mr. Kerry has charged. But, she wondered, was Mr. Kerry proposing a form of government-controlled medicine, as the president has claimed? The war started by Mr. Bush breaks her heart, Ms. Lichtman said, but would Mr. Kerry swing too far in the other direction?

Word has spread among friends and family that she has not made up her mind, and many have called to woo her, said Ms. Lichtman, an artist who works in Internet music sales.

"They have heard that I'm not against Bush - they are horrified," she said. "It's like I'm excommunicated. They're calling me up and saying, let me win you back. It's not that they're for Kerry - it's that they are against Bush."

In St. Louis, Doug Newton, 37, a high school history teacher, said he was leaning toward Mr. Bush. "The concrete is still a little soft," he said. "Anything could happen. I'm a supporter of our actions in Iraq, even though the weapons of mass destruction have not been found, and may never be found. I kind of feel like I know where Bush stands and what he is for. To me, Kerry is more of a guy who is against things."

For him and for his wife, he said, security was a critical issue. "That's why I tend to go with the veterans, and went with Gore in 2000," he said, and even though Mr. Kerry served in the Navy, Mr. Newton had some doubts about his willingness to buck world opinion.

Kimberly Parmer, 33, who works as a human resources manager in western Michigan, said the emphasis on national security issues had distorted the campaign.

"I don't think terrorism is as big a threat as everyone is making it out to be," Ms. Parmer said. "Yes, we have had a couple of incidents, but other countries have hundreds every year. Iraq is important, but so are things like Social Security and Medicare. Neither one has really touched on those subjects because no one is going to be happy, no matter what you do."

Ms. Parmer, who said she is firmly planted in "the very low middle class," also saw the Bush tax cut as poorly timed. She normally votes for Democrats, she said, but is not sure this time.

"One is too polished; the other one, I think to be honest, I don't know how he ever got to be president," Ms. Parmer said. "I am really surprised he has gotten as far as he has in life. I do think he's honest."

Even so, Ms. Parmer said, she thought she might vote for Mr. Bush. "If you actually look at him, and he stands up next to Kerry, you just kind of feel sorry for him," she said. "I feel he's more of an underdog, he's had a hard go of it in the last four years."

That's it! George Bush, the little guy struggling to keep up with Tall John, nails down the bleeding heart vote. We'll take it.

Comments

[Crank]

Height-ism again!

[sym]

I laughed out loud when I read that. Sometimes I think that democracy would be great if it wasn't for all the voters. Also, John Kerry is POLISHED?

[capt mike]

Basically, what you have are three people who would reliably vote for a normal democrat in normal times. Let's boil it down as to why they're "undecided":

Voter #1 just dislikes Kerry and doesn't want to vote for someone she dislikes as president;

Voter #2 feels security is the critical issue and doubts Kerry has the willingness to buck world opinion;

Voter #3 dislikes Kerry as being "too polished", and although she doesn't agree with Bush on the issues, admires Bush as a remarkably honest man. Apparently honor is what matters to her.

Kerry's negatives: not likable, weak, and dishonest.

These voters may think they're "undecided", but they have made up their minds for Bush and just don't realize it yet. If this is an accurate representation of the "undecided" voter, it's going to be an early night next Tuesday with Bush in a landslide.

Remarkable for the Old York Times.

[TM]

What is interesting is how, in that small sample, the Republican Attack Message about Kerry (aka "the truth") came through.

[Yehudit]

Liberal Jews for Bush.
More Jewish liberals for Bush.
More liberals for Bush.
More Gore voters for Bush.

[sym]

polls would be nice, yehudit