By Bruce A. Love
With just days to go until the general election, things have really gotten interesting. Living in one of the big three “swing states” has made us very popular with candidates, news media, and pollsters alike. My 11th grade daughter has even been assaulted with political propagandizing from one overzealous high school teacher (whose identity will remain undisclosed as long as Alysia receives appropriate grades). Ironically, I just received my first election-related phone call as I was sitting down to write this column.
I recently discovered that I actually know one of the extremely rare “undecided voters.” I was beginning to think they were just a myth. After all, how could anyone possibly be undecided about two completely different candidates? Part of me suspects that my undecided acquaintance is using her unusual status for some ulterior motive. Maybe she is looking for a career as a “fair and balanced” News Anchor! She has already been showcased on a CNN program trying to understand this quirky, but influential, political minority. After examining what I knew about this woman, however, it made sense that she is undecided.
Statistics show that in recent elections more women vote for Democratic candidates because of the platform’s position on women’s issues. For that reason, “Ms. Undecided” should be leaning left. But she has young children and is concerned about the threat of more acts of terrorism on American soil. A new voting segment of the population, known as “Security Moms,” has emerged that believes Bush attacks terrorism more effectively than would Kerry. But “Ms. Undecided” is also an attorney. Many lawyers see George Bush’s desire to place caps on medical malpractice awards as being anti-lawyer. On the other hand, the Kerry-Edwards lawyer partnership should appeal to this attorney. But Ms. Undecided is a Caucasian, descended from old money, and married into even more money, and we all know that white millionaires (other than those in entertainment) favor Bush. Since the “Christian Right” also leans toward Bush, this churchgoer might be influenced to vote Republican, but since her husband will not go near a church, she may decide to totally separate church and state, and avoid any religious influences on her voting decision in order to maintain harmony at home. I am not sure what her views on gun control are, but I do know that her husband’s first response to news that a possum had broken into his parents’ bathroom earlier this year was to grab his riffle and blow it away. So, I suppose that her decision to allow firearms in the house indicates that she is in favor of Second Amendment rights (in which case, she would lean toward Bush). Yes, I can understand this voter’s indecision!
At the risk of sounding like a politician, I feel the pain that these people must be experiencing. Fortunately, I have a remedy for their pain!
I discovered a very good (seemingly unbiased) website for “undecideds.” It’s also a good website for anyone who just wants to verify that their chosen candidates are indeed the ones that most accurately represent their concerns and philosophical positions. The website asks 20 questions on a variety of issues. Based upon your response, and how strongly you feel about the topic, your answers will be matched against answers and records of the candidates running for President. The results of the quiz are displayed with pictures of the candidates with whom the responses match most closely. About a dozen politicians are displayed in the order in which they rank according to your stated views. If you are truly undecided, you might want to use this tool to help with this important decision.
To take the quiz, and potentially make a decision that will decide the 2004 Presidential election, visit:
www.ontheissues.org/quizeng/XPresMatch2004
