Dear undecided voter: Do you exist?

This post originally appeared on Slate.

Dear Undecided Voter,

Do you exist? Some people are skeptical. They wonder: How could anyone still be undecided? But I know you are out there. I've met a few of you on the campaign trail--though there may only be enough of you to fit on a school bus. A Washington Post national poll tells us that there are 9 percent of voters who could change their mind. In the swing states, there are fewer. In a recent CNN poll conducted in Florida, 8 percent said they might change their mind. In a series of CBS polls in Colorado, Virginia, and Wisconsin, there were less than 5 percent who said they didn't know how they would vote or that they could change their minds.

In a close election, you might be the key. Many of you like Barack Obama but are considering not voting for him again. But wait, rather than have me tell you what you're thinking, I'm going to stop there and not guess at what you, the undecided voter, are thinking. I'd like you to tell us. Please write to us at [e-mail] and, in a paragraph, explain why you're undecided between the two candidates. If we get enough good responses, I'll write about it. If not, I'll use it to inform future pieces. If we get no responses, we'll assume you don't exist and you won't get the holiday ham we send every year.

Yours truly,

John Dickerson

More from Slate:

How Will the Candidates Ignore the Foreign Policy Questions and Talk About What They Want?
Republicans Said Obama Misrepresented the Libya attack. Now the Joke's On Them.
The Persistent, Zombie-Like Ohio Lead for Obama

[candle_9]

I am an undecided voter for many reasons.

First, My vote for Obama was really a vote against Sara Palin. I could not vote for someone who clearly lacked the wisdom to hold such an important position. Again, I am faced with a vice president that I do not really like in Ryan. I am also worried about his lack of wisdom and empathy for people who are not wealthy for he CLEARLY AND BLATANTLY makes it obvious he will be only working for the rich and their interests.

Second, I am undecided between Obama and Romney. I feel Obama is trustworthy and means well but has show poor judgement his priorities. This may cost him the election...who knows?

Third, although Romney clearly has the business acumen to help lead us out of a tough economy but, I do not trust him when it comes to balancing the budget and putting a "fair" tax plan into place. I fear Romney will put into place policies that favor the rich when they don't really need the help. I also fear the pandering to the "radical" right and their desire to control others behavior.

Watching the debate last night, I saw Romney as more presidential. It's clear he can be more of a bridge builder between the two parties. It's too bad Obama and Romney couldn't work together to help our country instead of trying to make each other look like incompetents. It's clear they are both intellegent men to care about our country.

[peacefulperson]

I'm one of those undecided voters. The TV ads have me convinced that neither candidate deserves to be in the White House. I'm looking into alternative candidates.

I think there are a lot more of us than could fit on a school bus.

[otimus]

My problems with Obama is simple, He does not work with congress, he has had four years to do very little. My problem with Romney/Ryan there is 16 trillion reason to have every single item in the budget availabile for reductions in spending including DEFENCE, and I am getting closer to retirement and yes ssn is a part of my plan.

[Daid132]

This will be the first time since 1958, that I have not voted. I will not vote because of choice.

Not in my lifetime ( in my opinion), has America had to choose between the lesser of two evils. I will not make that choice!

[onefivethree]

Then vote for Gary Johnson and make a differnce in the system that leads you to believe that you don't have a choice!

[usresham]

There are no such thing as undecided voters.Most of them watch TV or read News papers. They know the positions of the two candidates,and their personalities and priorities and party philosophies. Most are not that high level thinkers or have access to special information to 'confuse' them. They are undecided because they seek importance.

[usresham]

There are no such thing as undecided voters.Most of them watch TV or read News papers. They know the positions of the two candidates,and their personalities and priorities and party philosophies. Most are not that high level thinkers or have access to special information to 'confuse' them. They are undecided because they seek importance.

[AOCGUY]

IVoteMyConscience "My husband and I pay 35% income tax"


OK I have got to ask how in tarnation are you paying 35%? Even if Waren Buffet to no deductions and claimed all income as earned he it would be mathematically impossible to actually break the 35% limit. 35% is only on the income earned (assuming filing jointly) over #379,150. If one filed $10 million as earned income they still wouldn't pay any more than 34% and that's only if they didn't take any exemptions.

[hypnotoad72]

35% Federal tax or, when every form of tax is counted in is the net sum 35%?

[pbaird2]

The reason these people are undecided is they wait to see who has the best chance to win and then they side with them. These are the type of people who like others to think they are on the right side of everything, but actually have no independent thought.

[IVoteMyConscience]

"I believe in the American spirit," President Obama said. "A President must care about 100% of their people."

Obama said that on film:

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fNUQQBE8iE"

"My priority is jobs," Romney said.

Romney's record on jobs is on video:

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZMndjLIQUFw"

In America, "47% of the people believe they are victims," Romney said. "That 47% believe they are ENTITLED [emphasis Romney's] to health care, food & housing. These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. It's not my job to worry about those people. I'll never convince them to take responsibility for their lives."

Hmmm.

The steelworkers in the video above pay income tax. They take responsibility for their lives. I'm guessing that you reading this pay income taxes and take responsibility for your lives. My husband and I pay 35% income tax. We sure as heck take responsibility for our lives!

Meanwhile, Romney's defense of his unreleased tax returns is that last year he paid 14.1% income tax. (And there's evidence that he paid extra so American wouldn't know how low his tax bracket actually is--that's trying to buy votes.)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are endowed with CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."--the US Constitution

Did Romney really dismiss in contempt all of us Americans who pay taxes more than twice as high as his, as well as the basic tenant of our US Constitution, when he thought he was speaking secretly behind closed doors?

The record is on video:

"http://www.motherjones.com/transition/inter.php?dest=http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/secret-video-romney-private-fundraiser"

So who told the truth in this 2nd 2012 Presidential debate? Who lied?

The record is on video:

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXpKq4UYtXw&feature=related"

Who stood firm on his platform for election? Who switched his positions?

The record is on video:

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jebDlVAcpGo"

Who told the truth in the 1st 2012 Presidential debate? Who lied?

The record is on video:

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TWHLgMCDuOs"

Romney's handlers claim debates are no place for "fact-checking" and that Romney will not be limited by "fact-checkers."

A Presidential candidate who doesn't want to be fact-checked?

What could that possibly mean. . .other than lying?

Apparently, Romney's handlers claim it means they disagree with "facts" because they like "empirical data." However, "empirical data" ARE "facts." A "fact," according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is "a thing known or proved to be true," and "data" is "a collection of facts." Yes, data are facts. "Empirical" simply means anything at all "verifiable by observation or experience."

Empirical DATA = [observed or experienced] FACTS = THE TRUTH

This is a particularly meaningless red herring designed to fool Republican voters into believing there's a difference between two identical terms and confuse them about why the facts, when checked, don't match what Romney says.

This is why President Obama doesn't object to being fact-checked.

It's a good thing American voters aren't as easy to lie to as Romney thinks.

Americans deserve the truth from our Presidential candidates.

Fact-checker's list on the 2nd 2012 Presidential debate, with citations, compiled by Milt Shook:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2012/10/second-debate-romney-lies-debunked.html

Fact-checker's list on the 1st 2012 Presidential debate, with citations, compiled by Milt Shook:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2012/10/a-small-sampling-of-romney-lies-at-last-nights-debate.html

For moderate voters, Obama and Romney compared, with citations, by Milt Shook:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2012/10/if-youre-a-moderate-voter-thinking-of-voting-gop-read-this-first-please.html

Obama's record as President, with citations, compiled by Milt Shook:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009.html

Whom among the American people Obama has really represented during the past 4 years? Revealed in detail by Milt Shook:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2011/08/more-politics-101-obama-is-smarter-than-us.html

By mid-October, 2012, the Obama campaign had broken all previous records for number of individual donations with 10,000,000 donations from Americans of all walks of life. That's ten million Americans not only voting for Obama, but investing their hard-earned money in a future lead by him. (And we all know exactly how hard-earned that money is these days.)

Please--read, follow up citations to their sources, educate yourself.

Don't be bought by simple-minded television ads paid for by billionaires who hope to gain financially by your loss.

Make an informed decision about what's best for you and for America.

And VOTE.

[logictoo]

A huge issue seems to be Romneys 14% tax rate. The capital gains tax rate is the same for everyone, rich and poor and yes the poor sometimes are hit with capital gains likely from a gift. With earned income there are a multitude of deductions to take which oftentimes results in no tax. With capital gains the deductions do not apply such as charitable deductions. Taxes are not my field of expertise so you may correct me if you like but when I find one of your points incorrect I question them all.

[jschm2681]

Obama's record is enough for me to vote for Romney- 44 months of 8+% unemployment, a record since 1948; lowest labor participation rate of 63.6% since 1981; weakest recovery since WWII; record 5.5 trillion in new debt; lowering of US credit rating; largest tax increase in history, Obamacare; UAW bailout costing taxpayer 26 billion because the UAW, Obama supporters, were treated as first creditors, unheard of in bankruptcy; billions wasted by DEP on green energy loans to companies that failed, Solynadra, First Solar, Fisker and others that were Obama supporters.