An undecided voter during May was legit, during September was leaning, and during November is lying. The AP reported that 1 in 7 voters are persuadable and still haven’t settled on a candidate. As my UK friends would say “bullocks.” 14%? I think this is way too high and have a hard time believing the number is anything less than 3%. I’ve got two theories regarding this “myth of the undecided” and the specious claims you’re hearing on your TV every time you turn it on.1. Like I mentioned before they’re lying, plain and simple. Undecideds are paid to participate in studies and election polls. They are paid by the campaigns, the media and independent organizations who service the campaigns and the media. It doesn’t follow that a person identified as a likely voter (determined heavily by whether or not they have voted [read: drawn a conclusion and decided] previously) would be this indecisive and slothful in drawing a conclusion, especially in an election where the starkness of candidate couldn’t be any more helpful in necessitating a decision, whatever candidate you back. It does follow that with this campaign easily setting the record for most money spent voters would readily self identify as an undecided to feed on the largesse. Also people like to feel important, I’m not sure where this falls on Maslow’s but empirically I’m sure you will agree. And there is no better opportunity than to legitimize your own self-importance than playing tie-breaker in an historic election.
2. A person turns on the television, picks up the paper or goes online. The medium, be it Newsweek, MSNBC, wsj.com, provides content to that person. The advertiser pays the medium different sums of money based on how many persons view the content. So it is in the interest of the medium to promote stories that keep people tuned in. There is no more compelling, nor tried and true, formula than the one point ballgame hanging in the balance with a myriad of variables that can determine the outcome.
Four years ago I had a professor tell me that they were undecided a week before the election and literally wouldn’t make up their mind until they were inside the voting booth. While not impossible, I seriously doubted the probability of their contention being true. However, I didn’t doubt their desire for self-importance, and the joy the seven days of being the center of attention brought them.
