infinite improbability

You don't take into account the fact that there is an entire class of people for whom decisions aren't made until they ~have~ to be made.

It seems like I remember an entire shelf of books that dealt with early vs. late decisions and game theory.

Elections are a classic case of not only not ~needing~ to make an early decision. The decider might actually ~benefit~ from a late decision because the campainer might change tactics to benefit the decider. (Vote for me and get lower taxes if you work in [job X], etc.)

Remember it doesn't matter what you decide in an election until you pull the lever.

I see benefits and disadvantages to both Kerry and Bush. I am still trying to prioritize the benefits and disadvantages in order to decide who to vote for.

Thanks again for reminding me (an undecided) that everything is always as simple as black and white.

Paula--

Oh, no it's not so simple as black and white, however, the candidates are so diametrically opposite that anybody who knows the issues and has actual opinions on said issues ought to have a pretty good opinion on who they are voting for. What sort of country do you want? Which candidate is going to lead the country in the direction you want it to go? I can understand being undecided when there aren't fundamental differences between the candidates (for example, Clinton and Bush Sr. didn't really disagree on what the fundamental issues were, just on how to deal with them), however, Kerry and Bush have huge differences on a fundamental level, and you either agree with them or you don't.

Rob and jfb3 gave relatively nuanced arguments for remaining undecided (advantages of late decisions, weighing the advantages and disadvantages) and I respect that. However, a flippant answer for remaining undecided suggests a rather flippant approach to the whole voting process.

I assure you, the flippant comment was my own easily irked quality coming out and not my stance on the election.

It is true that Kerry and Bush are opposite to each other in certain issues, but what I meant by black and white is that my own opinion is never simply "either or" between them. And I guess I shouldn't really say I am undecided, because I am not really undecided...I am decided that I will vote for neither of them, because there's a great thing about this country that I can vote for anyone over thirty-five who is a native of the country and has lived here for at least fourteen years and that it doesn't have to be black and white at all and I don't have to settle for "the lesser of two evils" as so many people have qualified this election...I guess by undecided I mean that I am unsure who I would be more disappointed with getting into the oval office.

So, then Paula, you aren't an undecided voter. You've made up your mind that you don't want to vote for either guy. That's a whole different ball of wax. If you truly believe that you can't tolerate either guy, then sometimes not voting or going to a third party is the principled thing to do.

Righto ^_~

Like I said, I'm easily irked. I apologize for being snotty.

That's quite alright.