You know, now that I think about it... I acted the same way when I voted for Ross Perot back in 1992. Every time I got asked who I was voting for, and I said Perot, people would laugh or make comments and eventually I just started saying "I haven't decided."

I didn't follow politics much at all, but I do remember watching Perot's TV show he ran where he went through all those graphs and charts. Being someone with an Engineering and a Mathematics degree, he presented things in a format that I easily understood, so that was what won me over with him. That and I figured if he was able to make billions in business that he had to know what he was doing.

That is very interesting indeed. I got a very similar answer over at Huffington Post as well.

Inside the ballot box is the only poll that really counts. It'll be interesting to see if Obama's numbers are different than the polls indicate right before the election, and if so, which way it will go.

It'll be analyzed to death, of course, no matter what happens, but we may never really understand what happened.

Anyway, thanks for commenting. Your friend's comments intrigue me.

-CW

During a casual conversation with a group of people, a friend, who is not at all into politics much, was asked who he was voting for. He replied "John McCain". I asked him after why he said that, because I knew he was going to vote for Obama. He said (as best I can remember):

"I'm just tired of getting snide comments and funny looks when I say Obama. Some smartass McCain supporter will always ask something like "What has he done, name one thing?" and since I don't follow politics enough to answer it's just easier to lie to them.

The McCain supporters almost always treat me like I'm a fool and insult me. They go on and on about him being Muslim, raising our taxes, being an empty suit. They say how he'll hand the country over to the blacks. On and on.

The Obama supporters never make me feel like crap for saying McCain. If they try to persuade me to vote for Obama I can simply ask for his website and say I'll read his policies and consider it. They almost always leave me alone after that.

It's just easier to lie."

I wonder how much of that is out there. How many supporters of his that are among the "uniformed voters" that know enough to make a decision but do not get into politics enough to defend that choice when confronted? A few Obama volunteers were door knocking in my neighborhood the other day and when they came to my house I told them I was already an Obama supporter and donor and asked them about how their experience was door knocking.

It wasn't pleasant they said. Racial insults. Doors being slammed on them. Pretty disheartening stuff they head to deal with. But they said it was all worth each time they met an Obama supporter or were able to enlighten an undecided voter. And they'd keep doing it to make sure he won.

These die hard active supporters I can see as being willing to put up with the harassment. But how many "average voters" are unwilling to do so? How many are planning to vote Obama but are not willing to say so in public for fear of being insulted or treated different?

I'm willing to be there are more than most think.