Undecided Voters...the New Class Dunce of American Politics

In this election as in most, there has been so much talk about the so-called "undecided voter." As late as the eve of the election, CNN published an article, "1 day left and still undecided". Frankly, I think that undecided voters are a figment of the political punditry who are intent on hogging the limelight in the media. Let's face it, the media (TV, radio, print, online, etc.) loved the protracted Democratic primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton because there is nothing to boost TV ratings like indecision and uncertainty. They know that there is nothing more intriguing than whether the Presidential race comes down to a few voters who make up their mind at the last minute thus potentially swinging the election to one candidate or the other, especially in states where candidates are only separated by a few hundred or a few thousand votes as were Nevada (Gore lost Nevada by 2%) or Florida in 2000 (537 votes). But I honestly think that many of those undecideds polled are ashamed or embarrassed to state who they are voting for or so guardedly private that they think that it's no one's business.

Now let's deal with those few actual voters. For those of you who are actually undecided at this point... Do you mean to tell me that after nearly 2 years of non-stop political campaigning, over 20 Presidential Debates, and after each candidate has long ago put their major policy positions on their website AND distributed them through the various media, that you still can't make up your mind? Do you mean to tell me that after witnessing 8 years of a President who lied us into a war with Iraq on the pretext that Iraq was harboring WMD, then later we found out that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11, that you still can't make up your mind? Do you mean to tell me that after witnessing ontinuous war(s), an increasing $500B federal debt and counting, an economic climate resulting in some of the largest corporate layoffs in history, taxes that take more and more out of the little guy's pockets, conspiring with big insurance, health management and big oil to severely limit our choices for competitive alternatives, deregulation the financial industry to such a point that it's players feel no shame about a record number of home foreclosures, under-performing schools, supporting our troops in the form of giving them 3-5 consecutive tours of duty without adequate R&R with family, and on and on that you STILL can't make up your mind?

Jesus Christ! No wonder George Bush "won" the 2000 and 2004 elections. A good number of those who voted for him in 2000 did so because Bush was the candidate they would rather have a beer with. What stupidity.