Undecided voters not satisfied with both candidates--By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer

Liz Sidoti recent wrote an article about 18 percent of undecided voters not being satisfied with both Presidential candidates. Well I’m part of that 18 percent and many of my friends are a part of the 18 percent. Neither Presidential candidate has shown me that they have real detailed plans of how they will solve the economy, health care, and education. I am fearful of who will be our next President because neither candidate can be trusted. They flip flop and have gone away from many of their original stances time and time again. Therefore I am confused on what to believe that comes out of the mouths of each major party Presidential candidate.

It is clear to me that Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are not doing enough to address many of the issues plaguing the American people. For example, neither candidate has been to DC in months but they are still getting paid their high paid Senate salaries while they are on the campaign trail running for President. Our American government has been on vacation more than they have been in session, well let me rephrase that, our American Congress has been on recess more times than they have been in session. Neither candidate has said that the United States Congress should take a pay cut and over the last few years Congress has steadily given themselves raises while doing nothing. America’s “Do Nothing” Congress is getting paid the highest they have ever been paid and you put that with a lame duck President and it’s no wonder why America is so messed up as we enter this year’s Presidential election.

This is the highest number of undecided voters ever in a Presidential election and it is clear that I’m not alone in my feelings about both Presidential candidates. They would rather attack each other than to talk about the real issues and give solutions to want is plaguing the American people. Literally every campaign issue is about the candidate’s opponent rather than about the candidate and how they plan to resolve the issues regarding health care, energy, education and the economy. Neither Presidential candidate continuously talks about where they stand on the issues and instead favors talking about their opponent and where their opponent stands on the issue and says they won’t do that. That is not a stance but rather a disagreement with your opponent and doesn’t tell me or the American people where they really stand on the issues.

Even some Obama supporters are skeptical of voting for Obama not because he is black but because his views don’t agree with theirs but want something different in the sense of a new party. Plus many loyal Democrats are weary of supporting Obama because he is not your typical Democrat and are only voting for him because he is a Democrat. However many McCain supporters don’t support McCain outright because he is not a conservative Republicans and plus he sides with Democrats too much on many issues that aren’t favored by evangelical Republicans. Plus McCain hasn’t shown a strong stance on domestic policies particularly the economy so many of McCain supporters don’t feel confident is the right candidate to deal with these issues. So it is clear that I’m not alone in being an undecided voter.

For the first time since I have been eligible to vote and for the first time since I started working on political campaigns, I don’t know who I support or who I am voting for. I have been this obvious in some of previous statements to friends and previous blogs because it is clear that neither Presidential candidate has a clue to what is ailing America yet alone how to solve it. I do not and will support an American party above the American people and that is what it is seems that our major Presidential party candidates are doing. Well McCain has went against his party at times and on major issues, it still isn’t enough and you have Obama who has never really stood up against his party continue to side with his party time and time again. While Obama wants to say he went against his party in 2002 in being against the Iraq War but he wasn’t in the Senate and I beat many State Senators and State Representatives as well as mayors and city council members across America were probably against the war in Iraq but the fact is they were not in the House or Senate and only a handful of those in the House and Senate like Dennis Kunich voted against the Iraq War and has continued to vote against funding for the war. While since Obama has been in the United States Senate since getting elected in 2004 from the state of Illinois has only voted against funding the Iraq War one time and that was last summer when Hillary Clinton and him were on the campaign trail and went to through the backdoor of the Senate floor to secretly vote and after voting they then told the American people they voted against the bill. Nonetheless Obama was political posturing cause his than he is voted to fund the war when he has been able to make it to the Senate floor and do his job.

Now with the economic crisis, Obama decides it is more important to have a debate on “Foreign Policy” and to continue to campaign than to do to DC and do his job as a Senator and his party’s leader. So how can I trust either Presidential candidate when it is clear that what is going on in America is the same old politics as usual and no new solutions being offered but just small details of what could be real concrete plans to deal with many of the issues plaguing America and the American people. I’m undecided because neither candidate has fought for our youth and has provided a concrete plan to deal with the education system yet alone the war on our youth in terms of violence, dropout rates, and teen pregnancy. Neither candidate has offered any real solutions to America’s future and how we will educate the next generation leadership. They both talk about service but the reality is service alone is not enough if the proper training, education and mentorship programs aren’t provided as well as security is not put in place. So it is good to know that I am not alone in being undecided and I am happy to say that I stand by my undecided vote because I vote for the best candidate and right now the best candidate is just not there when neither candidate is speaking to the issues that got them their party nomination.

How will you solve poverty, HIV/AIDS, gun violence, infant mortality rates, social security, political & corporate corruption, abandoned houses, unemployment rates, teen pregnancy, rising food prices, border control and what will you do for the senior citizens? Those are issues I am not hearing from either of the major party Presidential candidates because they don’t have laid out news conferences with the press and instead they just go about campaigning without addressing real issues. Enough is enough and I hope the rest of the undecided voters take their vote very seriously and hold out until November 4 to see which candidate really makes you feel comfortable when you wake up on November 4 and go the polls. That’s the only way you will know that you are making the right choice and not just the lesser of two evils vote or I’m a Democrat so I vote Democrat or I’m a Republican so I vote Republican. Vote wisely and cautiously because I know I do every year no matter the election. Most of all I encourage everyone to vote every year not just in Presidential elections but in every local, state, federal election because every election is important. With that said, my vote is up for grabs and I am willing to listen and hear other people out in terms of why they support Obama or McCain. I’m looking for real reasons not the talking points of the candidates or the political fluff out there.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With Wall Street in turmoil and the economy in shambles, whichever presidential candidate convinces a swath of persuadable voters that he gets it — and can be trusted to lead the country back to fiscal stability — could well win the White House.

A recent AP-Yahoo! News poll found that 18 percent of likely voters are up for grabs — undecided or willing to change their minds — little more than five weeks before Americans choose between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

A large chunk of these voters say they are hurting on a personal level from the country's economic woes, and, like everyone else, they say the economy is the top issue. Most haven't decided who would best solve their problems as president; neither candidate has an advantage on handling the economy.

Simply put: Most are looking for a better life and a leader to help make it happen — and most haven't found what they seek in Obama or McCain.

"There's a person out there who could inspire change, mend the ways of the system and start fixing the economy, but I don't think these two are up to the task," said Rick Villiere, 39, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. A married father of two children under age 3, he feels the tug of economic turmoil and says: "It's impossible to get ahead."

It's difficult simply to stay afloat, says Cristy Jackson, 29, of Hazel Green, Ala. She's on disability, her husband was laid off and they have two kids. "I don't have faith in anyone on the economy," she says, adding that neither Obama — "not experienced enough" — nor McCain — "he doesn't care about people like me who are not even middle class" — is likely to help her family.

Tough times, tough crowd.

Historically, the ruling party loses the White House when the economy is bad, and it's rare for voters to keep the same party in power for three straight terms. But the poll, conducted by Knowledge Networks, shows that Obama still hasn't sealed the deal and McCain still has a shot after eight years of President Bush.

National surveys indicate a competitive race, meaning persuadable voters could affect the outcome. Thus, both campaigns are pouring millions of dollars into advertising with precisely targeted pitches aimed at this small slice of the electorate.

Generally, these up-for-grabs voters are harder to find because they are not hard-core partisans and are less likely to report being contacted by the campaigns. That indicates that retail politics could play an important role. Still, moving them to one camp or the other is no easy task.

After the nearly two-year presidential campaign, Matt Powell, 31, of Widefield, Colo., is among those who still have yet to be won over. "Neither one has really come up with anything to make me say 'That one right there, I want that one," he said. "I don't even know what I'm looking for. Just a little bit of hope."

The key to unlocking the support of persuadable voters may be this: convincing them that one candidate alone has the ability to identify, understand and fix the country's ills, especially the economy.

These voters view McCain as far more qualified than Obama, with 82 percent saying the four-term Arizona senator has the experience to be a good president compared with 37 percent for the first-term Illinois senator. However, these voters don't see either candidate as more likely to understand the problems the country faces.

Overall, many voters say they are personally struggling because of the economic woes — but persuadable voters say they are really hurting. Some 38 percent say it's "very difficult" for them to get ahead financially, and another 26 percent say it's "somewhat difficult." Conversely, 29 percent of voters who have decided for certain say "very difficult" while 33 percent say "somewhat difficult."

The economy has been voters' top concern for months, though the candidates have only put it on the front-burner as the country's fiscal health took a major hit. Both Obama and McCain are increasingly sounding a populist tone in the wake of a string of financial institution failures that brought Wall Street to its knees and prompted sweeping government intervention.

Persuadable voters give McCain and Obama even marks on the economy, as well as other financial issues, including Social Security, gas prices, the budget deficit and housing prices. That underscores the opportunity each has to try to maneuver for an edge on the economy as a whole.

Among these uncommitted voters, McCain leads on Iraq, terrorism, taxes, corruption, immigration and gun rights, while Obama has an edge on health care, gay marriage, the environment, stem-cell research, racial equality and education.

The Midwest is home to more of these up-for-grabs voters. That's not surprising given that seven large states in the region are among the most hotly contested battlegrounds — Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Among these undecided voters, Democrats are much less intensely behind Obama than Republicans are behind McCain. Obama appears to have more people on the bubble, and many of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's former backers haven't fully committed, while McCain's backers are hard-core Republicans and enthused by his running mate selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Both Obama and McCain have been aggressively competing for would-be Clinton voters through direct appeals in advertising to working-class whites and women as well as numerous visits to states that the New York senator won in the drawn-out Democratic primary.

For better or worse, the election is still more than a month away, and that's plenty of time for voters to settle on a candidate — or change their minds.

Peggy Cacia, 75, a Clinton backer in Orlando, Fla., shifted last week from tentatively supporting McCain to backing Obama.

The economy figured heavily into her decision, and she said on that issue: "I really trust the Democrats." She said she doesn't trust Obama personally on the economy but "he's better than McCain." Even so, Cacia said: "I want to see what happens" during a domestic policy debate next month to hear more about what Obama has to say on the economy.

In Rutland, Mass., Karen Wamback, 31, seemed very much a reluctant McCain supporter.

"John McCain has a lot of issues I have issues with but Barack Obama has a lot more," she said. Then, about 15 minutes later after rolling through the pros and cons of both, Wamback concluded: "I guess I'm pretty much set with McCain because he's the lesser of two evils. Then again, I might just vote in (Sesame Street's) Elmo. At least he's for the children."

The AP-Yahoo! News poll of 1,740 adults was conducted Sept. 5-15 and has an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. The survey was conducted over the Internet by Knowledge Networks, which initially contacted people using traditional telephone polling methods and followed with online interviews. People chosen for the study who had no Internet access were given it for free.
———
AP Director of Surveys Trevor Tompson, AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius and AP Writers Alan Fram and Ann Sanner contributed to this report.
———
On the Net:
Polling site: http://news.yahoo.com/polls