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I'll be up front, I am a registered Republican. I vote for Republican candidates I'd say about 85% of the time. I felt it important to get that out of the way before anyone accused me of any veiled bias. But I am not a Cool Aid drinker either. I hold Republicans and Democrats to the same standard when considering my vote for office. When Republicans do wrong, provide bad leadership or betray the public trust, I acknowledge it and call them out on it. For example, I have been a harsh critic on George W. Bush's performance as President,...

I'll be up front, I am a registered Republican. I vote for Republican candidates I'd say about 85% of the time. I felt it important to get that out of the way before anyone accused me of any veiled bias. But I am not a Cool Aid drinker either. I hold Republicans and Democrats to the same standard when considering my vote for office. When Republicans do wrong, provide bad leadership or betray the public trust, I acknowledge it and call them out on it. For example, I have been a harsh critic on George W. Bush's performance as President,...

To a critical sliver of voters gathered at Muhlenberg College, Friday's debate provided a slight boost for Republican John McCain but left him and Democrat Barack Obama with much to do to sway fence-sitters in the next five weeks. More than a dozen undecided voters gathered in a lecture hall, where they recorded their immediate reactions to the presidential candidates' responses using number keypads. Six of the 14 voters said they were more likely to vote for McCain after the 90-minute session, with four saying the same of Obama. Four said they remained unswayed. Bruce Glazier, a registered Republican from...

In discussing cell-phone voters a few days ago, I had mentioned that Obama had underperformed final polling, sometimes by significant percentages, in some key states in the Democratic primary - New Hampshire, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas. Over at The Next Right, Sean Oxendine looks at final polling and final results for all of the caucuses and primaries. Deep down, we know that the question of whether Obama underperforms his polls only matters in a few states — New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Ohio, maybe Indiana (where Obama overperformed his final polls). In the first three, Obama underperforms, and adding the underperformance factor...

(CNN) — Former Bush Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that he has not yet decided which candidate to back in this year’s presidential race. The election of an African-American president “would be electrifying,” Powell told a George Washington University audience, “but at the same time [I have to] make a judgment here on which would be best for America. “I have been watching both individuals, I know them both extremely well, and I have not decided who I am going to vote for. And I'm interested to see what the debates are going to be like because we...

Those who say there's no media bias aren't saying anything right now. They're laying low. First, my own minor mea culpa: A week ago, I wrote that Barack Obama had enjoyed little or no bump in the polls from the first nights of the Democratic National Convention. Then came a bump after all, thanks mainly to his high-flying acceptance speech and ringing endorsements from Bill and Hillary Clinton. Now on to the latest epidemic of media bias. Obama and David Axelrod, his chief strategist, are privately furious over the endless attacks, snide comments and second-guessing about John McCain's choice of...

Based on that question, there are signs that undecided voters may be more inclined to move to McCain than to Obama. The largest number of undecideds – 38 percent – would rather get advice from McCain – that’s nearly three times as many as the 13 percent that would go to Obama. The remaining say “neither” (27 percent) or are unsure (18 percent). Furthermore, independent voters pick McCain by a 15-point margin (41 percent – 26 percent). As one would expect, most Obama voters — 78 percent — say they would go to him for advice. Similarly, fully 83 percent...

CINCINNATI — The questioners were critical, some were combative, and few attendees were converted at a town hall meeting with U.S. Sen. John McCain Thursday, June 26. Republican presidential candidate McCain stood in the middle of a board room at Xavier University, surrounded by faculty, students and more than 150 voters. Campaign officials said the voters were undecided Democrats and Republicans, invited through a random phone poll, and they questioned the senator from Arizona on energy independence, foreign policy and women's rights. The first question came from Jack Kuntz, owner of a Cincinnati company that converts cars to run on...

Retired Gen. Colin Powell insists he hasn't yet decided who he'll back in the 2008 presidential election. "I'm looking at all three candidates," Powell said in an exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer for Thursday's "Good Morning America" on ABC. "I know them all very, very well. I consider myself a friend of each and every one of them. And I have not decided who I will vote for yet." Powell, who served as President Bush's first secretary of state, is a Republican, but that apparently is not enough to sway him toward Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the GOP's presumptive nominee....

A must see. Hillary is done.

Pew's final survey suggests that the remaining undecided vote may break only slightly in Kerry's favor. When both turnout and the probable decisions of undecided voters are taken into account in Pew's final estimate, Bush holds a slight 51%-48% margin.

Yesterday I heard from a very good footsoldier in the Cleveland area who said their call-backs were running 6:1 among undecideds in favor of Bush. I now have a little more info: 1) For those of you who don't know how the process worked, from May-Sept, the Bush team called every registered voter in Ohio, and in addition to "self-identification" (R, D, or U ["undecided"]) asked two "identifier" questions about taxes and abortion. I suspect that anyone who answered the "wrong" way on both of those, but said they were a R likely got a question-mark next to the name....

For what it is worth. I was at my local fitness center this morning working out. I was taking a break and watching TV that is located at the center. It was tuned to CNN and Kerry was giving a campaign speech. Standing next to me was an African-American man. We struck up a conversation and started talking about Tuesday's election. He told me he was undecided who he was going to vote for. I got the feeling that he was a Clinton supporter but was unsure about Kerry because he really didn't know what he would do regarding the...

Claiming that shiney things and a toy piano have occupied their minds for the last two years, a group of undecided voters have petitioned the Supreme Court for more time to come to a decision. “After six months of struggling with the issues, I finally decided where my vote should go - only to find out that Al Gore isn’t even running this time,” whined Alicia D’Arfaqhua. “Now I have to start from scratch, and I just cut my nails.” “A simple a orange blah argo-ffft wha-huh?” asked Jojo Murblehead, whose lawyer is claiming his client suffers mental distress from...

October 26, 2004--Seventy-one percent (71%) of voters made their final decision on their Presidential vote before the fall campaign season began. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 12% decided about a month ago, 9% a week ago, and 5% in the past few days.Those who made up their mind earlier in the process tend to be more supportive of Senator Kerry. Those who made up their mind later in the process are more supportive of the President. This is consistent with the fact that Senator Kerry led in most polls through mid-August and has generally trailed since Labor Day and...

Women are having a hard time making up their minds who to support in this White House race. Opinion polls suggest 60% of the undecided voters in this election are women. And pollsters believe that they may not make up their mind until they enter the polling booth. The threat of terrorism is a major concern for women, but they come to different conclusions on which candidate would best keep them and their children safe. 'Security moms' Celinda Lake, an opinion pollster in Washington DC who carries out work for the Democrats, has a thumbnail sketch of that swing female...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Democrat John Kerry on Sunday tried to persuade late-deciding voters that they can put their faith in his leadership by describing the values and beliefs that he says have guided him and would shape his presidency. Kerry said the Bible - and the American dream - says society must take care of its most vulnerable members, but in many ways that test is not being met under the country's current leadership. And he responded to some leaders of the Catholic church who have criticized his support of abortion rights and stem cell research. "I love my...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) on Sunday tried to persuade late-deciding voters that they can put their faith in his leadership by describing the values and beliefs that he says have guided him and would shape his presidency. Kerry said the Bible — and the American dream — says society must take care of its most vulnerable members, but in many ways that test is not being met under the country's current leadership. And he responded to some leaders of the Catholic church who have criticized his support of abortion rights and stem cell...

Reuters out-and-out lied in their story, saying Bush's reelect numbers were less than the don't-reelect numbers, and didn't mention the 1-day polling. "Pollster John Zogby: Bush had a stronger single day of polling, leading Kerry 49% to 46%. For the first time, in the one-day sample Bush had a positive re-elect, 49% to the 48% who feel it's time for someone new. Also in the one-day sample, Undecideds were only 4%. Could Undecideds be breaking for Bush?"

Undecided voters worry Bush camp By Ralph Z. Hallow THE WASHINGTON TIMES Poll after poll shows President Bush leading Democratic Sen. John Kerry, but the remaining few percentage points of undecided voters are a cause of concern for Republican campaign officials. In the closing days of the election season, analysts say, voters who tell pollsters that they're still undecided ultimately vote for the challenger, often by a large margin. With most polls still showing Mr. Bush below the 50-percent mark — the magic number campaign officials consider a reliable portent of victory — the anti-incumbent trend among undecided voters is...