What Undecided Voters Care About

WHAT “PURPLES” (UNDECIDED VOTERS) CARE MOST ABOUT BASED ON RESEARCH SPONSORED BY THE NORMAN LEAR CENTER: “Meet the Purples: Decoding the DNA of the Swing Voter” The Huffington Post (Marty Kaplan) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marty-kaplan/meet-the-purples-decoding_b_127772.html Excerpt:
• Forget about wedge issues. Purples are worried about the economy. Forty-nine percent cite it as most important, compared to 3% who chose morality and values.
• The Iraq War isn't working. Seventy percent of Purples say it has not been worth the loss of American lives and 53% don't agree that it can be won.
• Go green. Four of five Purples say more resources are needed to protect the environment rather than saying government has gone too far.
• Promise that you will throw the bums out of Washington. Seventy percent of Purples blame leaders of the political parties for the worsened state of politics. Eighty percent say this country's on the wrong track.
• Corporate America is not their friend. A whopping 90% say corporations don't generally act in society's best interests. Also, 57% say government regulation of business is important.
• Praise the working mother. Eighty-seven percent of Purples said men and women should share household duties equally.
• Privatize education at your peril. Eighty percent of Purples say that investing in public schools is better than supporting private education.
• Don't demonize immigrants. Two-thirds of Purples say they are here for work, not a handout.
• Walk a tightrope on trade. Purples are closely split on whether workers need trade protections.
• Be tech savvy. Three quarters of Purples say new technology and the social and economic changes it brings are a good thing.
• Civil liberties and equality take a back seat to security and freedom. We found that 57% of Purples say security is more important than liberties, and 74% say freedom is to be more valued than equality.
• However, don't believe that Purples want us to shoot first and ask questions later. When asked to choose between using force or improving anti-American sentiment to combat terror, 85% of Purples choose the latter.
• Compassion is popular. It is our duty to help the less fortunate, say 81% of Purples.
• Be very careful talking about religion's role. Purples are evenly split as to whether religion should have a greater role, or be left out of public life.
• Don't talk about guns. Purples are again evenly split on whether it is appropriate to regulategun ownership.
• Cutting taxes is always a good thing for everybody. So say 66% of Purples.
• Are they listening? Over half of Purples say they're paying more attention to politics than four years ago.