STATE OF THE UNION: A Review
Zzzz. My wife fell asleep and I came close. And I wasn't tired when it started.
FLORIDA POLLING
My parents both tend to vote Republican. My mom voted McCain in today's primary (they voted early) because "he's been around a long time, he knows how things work." She would have voted Obama but couldn't because she is registered Republican. Why? "He seems like an honest man, and it would be good for the country to elect a black president." She is anti-Hillary because Hillary "is a lying b****." She doesn't know much about Romney except that "he is a successful businessman." Giuliani had nothing to say to her beyond 9/11, and that wasn't enough. She admitted knowing next to nothing about where any of the candidates stand on the issues. She said she gets her information primarily from print columnists.
My dad is registered Democrat because his dad was registered Democrat, so he could not vote in the Republican primary. He cast an anti-Hillary vote for Obama and would vote McCain if the election were held today.
Rob is a Romney guy, rabidly anti-Hillary and will go haywire when she is elected.
It was very interesting talking politics with my mom, in particular, how strong and solidly formed her opinions were, based on very little hard information. I think like many voters, she forms casual opinions about the candidates based on what she sees and hears in the media, and those early impressions are sticky. She described each candidate in a word-association sort of way:
Obama - likeable, honest
Hillary - lying b****
McCain - experienced
Romney - successful businessman
Giuliani - 9/11
So each of the candidates (other than Hillary) was able to get their think-of-me-in-this-way label across to her, and unfortunately, in the wake of Bush who refuses to talk to us, a lot of people are responding to Obama who is able to convey personality and warmth. They like the way he talks, they don't seem to notice or care that he isn't saying much, and they don't evaluate or think through the implications of what he does say.
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