The undecided voter revealed

This post originally appeared on Slate.

Why can't undecided voters just make up their minds already?

Mitt Romney may have hacked my email. A week ago, I asked undecided voters to write me at [e-mail] to explain themselves and their situation. I got about 200 thoughtful responses. (I welcome more, though supplies are going fast.) The message to Romney was clear: run as a malleable moderate from Massachusetts who isn't passionate about implementing a conservative social agenda, will promote a foreign policy that is not too different from President Obama's, and keep your distance from the Republican Congress. As the campaign comes to an end, Romney has fully embraced those first two pieces of advice, and by never really campaigning with GOP congressional leaders and recasting Paul Ryan, is doing a version of the third.

For these undecided voters, this election is a referendum on Romney. They've mostly already made up their mind about the incumbent. They don't dislike President Obama, but they think he is either incapable of improving the economy or locked into a do-nothing phase with Congress. "I voted for Obama in 2008, much to the surprise of my family and some of my friends, but certainly not all. I was enthusiastic about his election, but 4 years later feel he has not lived up to the 'hope and change' he professed, and [he] has not been successful in working with Republicans to get things done," writes Linda from Ohio. "I don't hold him responsible for the current state of the economy. I know it's not in his control, but I am concerned with his plans, or lack thereof, for growth going forward. He seems stuck." (This message almost sounds like a planted Romney email it so closely mirrors his campaign's spin, but as you'll see at the bottom of this story, Linda has some pretty harsh things to say about Romney, too.)

• Poll: Obama holds small Ohio edge; Fla., Va. tight
• Complete coverage: Campaign 2012

These voters think Romney can handle the economy, but they worry he will embrace an extreme agenda on social issues ranging from abortion to gay marriage. It's on those issues that they favor President Obama. The conundrum of one woman was typical: "I believe Obama, if elected, would be disastrous for the country, not only because of the debt he would cause the country to incur, but because of the precedents he would continue to set that make his initiatives very difficult to roll back in a future election. I believe Romney would be equally disastrous for different reasons. Republican positions are almost uniformly anti-woman, and as president, Romney would be in a position to name Supreme Court justices whose rulings will determine highly significant and personal issues not just for me but for my daughter. So, do I sell out my daughter's legal rights for her economic future?"

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Romney campaign tries new tactic to woo uncommitted voters

If they're not worried about Romney, they're worried about his party. "Although the economy is certainly my No. 1 issue (I'm also unemployed)," writes Christine from California, "it isn't the only issue. If it were, I think I would vote for Romney. But when it comes to social issues, I find the Republican Party downright scary, and I am also opposed to their stance on immigration, which is also an important issue for me. On the other hand, while I am not convinced Obama even understands the economy, never mind will actually move things in the right direction, I do think he has a bit more empathy in general."

Romney's focus groups and polling have long told him a version of this. That's why Romney has fully implemented this strategy of recasting or--in some cases like abortion--rewriting his positions on a host of issues. The Boston Globe helpfully put together a list. At this point, liberals scream that the reshaping of Romney should disqualify him. He either can't be trusted--Obama's point on the stump--or he's just going to govern as a die-hard conservative once he gets in office. That points to a fundamental question for voters still considering whom to support. Will Romney aim to please his party's conservatives once he's in office, the way he did during the primaries? Or, will he move to the middle, recognizing that's where the country is and where he'll need to be to get anything done in Washington?

Romney's past flip-flopping doesn't bother many of these people. For a sizable group, it gives them hope that a vote for his economic policies won't lead to an extreme conservative agenda. "I'm working under the assumption that the Senate stays blue, and that Mitt Romney has shown a willingness to pursue pragmatic rather than idealistic ends," writes Peter Bryan, an Obama 2008 Pennsylvania voter who is leaning toward Romney. He notes approvingly that Romney will be pragmatic because he "is the Etch-A-Sketch candidate, as we've learned so far." Some would like to see a little more shape-shifting from the candidate. "I would definitely vote for Mitt the Massachusetts Moderate," says Mary from Northern Virginia. "I am frightened by the risks of [the] Mitt who picked Paul Ryan."

But they wouldn't be independents if they all saw things the same way. "Romney's willingness to transfigure himself into whatever people want to hear is very off-putting and gives me doubts about his character," writes Joe from Wisconsin. "I understand the need to be less than forthright--you tell people that you are going to touch their entitlements and they whip themselves into a frenzy. But a president with character should at least try to convince the mob rather than running with it. What if the mob is leading us off of an unknown cliff?"

For Grant, a lifelong Republican from West Virginia, he's thinking about voting for Romney because it might change the party from within. "I know the real Romney from his Olympics days, governorship days, and Bain days (before it became politically incorrect to make money on Wall Street). I never thought the GOP minders would let him come out and talk about his family, religion, and practical--dare I say, moderate--approaches. The GOP Politburo has forced a VP candidate on him and also a narrow message. My vote is for the long view--assisting the GOP to cleanse itself of the "little tent" views .... I've been impressed that just before the debate, Romney took some initiative and broke away from the party line .... If he will keep showing he can do this, I'd consider voting for him."

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[MidOhioVoter]

I can't believe how much I'm hearing about Obama's empathy. Heck with Empathy! Give me someone with ability! When did my fellow Americans shout down a business success as though they were child molesters. Actually pedophiles get more sympathy these days. 'Can't help it" I'm told. Where has logic and reason gone? I'm only hoping these people will choose their doctors the same way. Then at least, there's a chance they'll die off before my dotage. All this nonsense about Romney's 14% percent tax bill. I notice no one is accusing him of underpaying. Just of doing a better job of keeping their money away from the government than they did. Must be those Bush loopholes? Doesn't anyone remember that Obama had a majority in congress for the first two years? And speaking of Congress, why hasn't there been a budget presented for the last 3 years? If the utility companies were as careless with their financials, there'd be an uproar from coast to coast? Still, the American people have been paying a slapdash estimated bill for the past several years without any real criticism in the media. And when will these fine watchdogs of the public weal look into who hung up when our embassadors called from Libya 3 months ago? If they'd asked everyone individually, they should know by now. Perhaps they are waiting until after the elections, just like they are waiting until AFTER the election to cut medicare to fund Obamacare. I know you're busy covering the election, but try finding out about Libya before Tuesday?

[GlendaGailParker]

Mr Dickerson,
Please cover the FREE and EQUAL third party Presidential debate to be held on November 5th.
Gail for Rail Parker
www.GailParker.us
Virginia

[Ben_Barnett]

http://www.facebook.com/#!/ObamasAmerica?fref=ts

NUFF SAID

[marksramsey7]

http://www.texasgopvote.com/issues/grow-economy/dear-undecided-voter-004761

A few ideas for the undecided voters...pick one for your Ohio friends!

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

Knsn - you just got a belly laugh out of me!

Thanks - I needed that.

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

Wow -

Imagine that a link from Texas would have "jive talk" in it.

Must be one of Palin's relatives.

[hillzhaveays]

linkicon reporticon emailicon
Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals says:
RRFL_IS_A_LIB says:

Man, do we have some issues here!!

------------

Err - how many people ARE there inside your head, Dan?
_____________________________________
I keep losing track raffle, who is Dan? And why does everyone take so much delight in baiting him?

[Think3Times]

Dan is RRFL_IS_A_LIB aka DAN9080 DAN9083 and countless others

[Think3Times]

Think3Times replies:

Tell me another joke Dan, but this time tell me one that you didn't hear from me 5 minutes ago.
_____________________

So you come back with the same joke attempt AGAIN?

Cmon man.. is your learning curve a straight line?

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

RRFL_IS_A_LIB says:

Man, do we have some issues here!!

------------

Err - how many people ARE there inside your head, Dan?

.

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

Knsn - I really feel badly for him, on a basic human level only. That's got to be a terrible existence.

[Think3Times]

Dave, Don, Dane, and Dan were all hanging out one night, just a casual night chatting and laughing; suddenly Dave tells everyone a joke. Everyone laughs because the joke is really funny, but Dan suddenly feels he needs to try and compete with Dave and repeats the joke back to Dave in an attempt to be funnier. Well as you can expect, Dave doesn't laugh, he gets annoyed, while Dane and Don laugh at the realization that Dan was trying to "be cool" and fell on his face. Dan refuses to notice and one again tries to beat Dave by telling the same joke AGAIN, but this time to Don. Don points out what a fool Dan is, so Dan tries once again to tell the same joke back to Dave, but before he tells it, he claims his name is Daryl, not Dan...

When you hear the saying "you can't make this sh** up" .. I didn't make this up.. I only changed the names, well, most of them anyway.

[Think3Times]

Wow.. crickets.. did I strike a nerve?

[msimamaji]

"It's Global Warming, Stupid!!!"

So says the cover of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Let's look at Hurricane Sandy as an example. Thanks to global climate change we can expect more Frankenstorms occuring more often.

Unlike the GOP, insurance comapanies are not fools. Right now, they are re-writing policies and hiking premiums to cover losses caused by extreme weather.

Rising insurance premiums will cause a lot of at-risk property to lose value, so a lot of homeowner who depended on their homes to finance their retirement will find that equity "Gone with the Wind."

In addition, sooner or later, the lending industry is going to start red-lining at at risk neighoborhoods and stop underwriting 30 year mortgages in these areas.

All of these factors will contribute to a mortgage melt-down which will affect every body - included all those undecided voters.

Global climate change will not go away, simply because Mitt Romney makes a bad joke about rising sea levels.

We need to re-elect President Obama, since he understands that we live in the 21st century, not the 1920's.

Equally important, we need to fire the entire lyin'-Ryan, Shifty-Mitty GOP.

Still undecided. Well, I consider my words a fair warning. If you don't follow my recommendation, you will wind up paying a horrible price.

[Morphasia]

OK! So, what I conclude from this article is that undecided voters are by-and-large.. dumbasses.

Got it.

Thanks John Dickerson!

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

I truly cannot believe that anyone has been "undecided" any time in the recent past...

It just doesn't make sense.

I can understand being more disgusted with one candidate than the other, I just can't see how that hasn't already lead to a decision.



Anyone else?

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

"RRFL_IS_A_LIB replies:
Christianity is a white man's religion. God never intended for it to be preached to or embraced by non-whites. His will is and always has been for us to live separately from other races, in our own lands, and not to mix with them in or out of church. "

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

RRFL_IS_A_LIB
You vote party over people.

--------

I don't.

And you vote race over party.