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One-Armed Vegetarian Live-In Boyfriends
Slate ^ | July 16, 2008 | Christopher Beam

Posted on 07/17/2008 4:43:25 PM PDT by forkinsocket

Every four years, the media announce which slice of American voters—Soccer Moms, Security Moms, Waitress Moms, NASCAR Dads, Office Park Dads, Joe Six-Packs, Angry White Males, or One-Armed Vegetarian Live-In Boyfriends—will decide the election for the rest of us. Equally ritualistic is the gleeful debunking of these ever-proliferating categories of swing voter. This year, with John McCain and Barack Obama redrawing the electoral map, it's going to be difficult to pinpoint a single group as the key to victory. But that doesn't mean media outlets (including this one) won't try.

Pollsters generally discover swing voters in one of two ways. They can ask voters point-blank whom they're supporting and whether they'll change their mind. Or they can "message-test," which is more costly. In message-testing, a pollster describes to voters a candidate's policies and plans and then asks the voters whether they agree. Anyone who can be converted in the course of such an exchange is a potential swing voter.

Once you've got your swing voters, you start looking for patterns. Maybe there's an abnormal number of middle-class women between the ages of 30 and 50 (Soccer Moms). Maybe they come from a certain geographical area or educational background (NASCAR Dads). Maybe there's one issue that gets their blood boiling (Security Moms). Slap on a catchy name and you've got yourself a news cycle!

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; politics; swingvoters
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1 posted on 07/17/2008 4:43:26 PM PDT by forkinsocket
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To: forkinsocket

Dang it, why don’t us broke-down, skinny, wrinkled, pot-bellied old working guys ever get to be swing voters? I could use a little pandering, myself. Ammo subsidies, for one. It’s an idea whose time has come.


2 posted on 07/17/2008 4:48:18 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: forkinsocket
This year, with John McCain and Barack Obama redrawing the electoral map, it's going to be difficult to pinpoint a single group as the key to victory.

Wrong. It will be the "racist white Democrats" that propel McCain to victory.
3 posted on 07/17/2008 4:54:23 PM PDT by HEY4QDEMS
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To: forkinsocket

The “dumb voters” could make Obama victorious.


4 posted on 07/17/2008 5:04:29 PM PDT by johnthebaptistmoore (Vote for conservatives AT ALL POLITICAL LEVELS! Encourage all others to do the same on November 4!)
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To: forkinsocket
how bout us bitter, Bible clinging, gun toter's???
5 posted on 07/17/2008 5:25:38 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist -CTHULHU/NYARLATHOTEP'08 = Nothing LESS!!!)
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To: Billthedrill
Ammo subsidies, for one. It’s an idea whose time has come.

Beer subsidies! Or at least make it tax-deductible.

6 posted on 07/17/2008 5:29:49 PM PDT by lesser_satan (Cthulu '08! Why vote for the lesser evil?)
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To: forkinsocket

I’m a White male and I’m still mad.


7 posted on 07/17/2008 5:43:59 PM PDT by blam
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