Decision Day for Primary Undecideds?

Some time between today (January 13, 2008) and Tuesday, undecided Democrats will have to make up their minds about what to do in Michigan's less-than-perfect 2008 presidential primary.

How many "undecideds" are there? Hard to say. The Detroit Free Press-Local 4 Poll published Sunday shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading "uncommitted" 56 percent to 30 percent. Rep. Dennis Kucinich gets 2 percent, "other" gets 2 percent, and 10 percent are undecided.

The poll has a margin of error of 4 percent either way. That means Clinton's support, as of the date the polling ended, could be as low as 52 percent and "uncommitted" as high as 34 percent.

And if the undecideds mostly break one way or another, the numbers could end up even tighter. As the national media (supposedly) learned in New Hampshire, such details are important.

(The Detroit News has similar results in its poll although the undecideds are put at only 5 percent.)

Where will the undecideds go?

To help the undecideds make up their minds, the Free Press has a handy compilation of candidates' views on the issues here.

The Livingston Press & Argus has some comments from leading Democrats in the county in a nice pre-primary round-up.

And of course as we noted in a previous post, Daily Kos has suggested that Democrats mess with the GOP primary by supporting Mitt Romney. But the Free Press poll found few people saying they would cross into the Republican primary. And none of the Livingston County leaders endorsed that.

Another option tempting Michigan Democrats might be to vote for Ron Paul. The Livingston Press & Argus has an audio clip of a county Paul supporter going on and on about how Paul supports the constitution and wants to roll back all the assaults on it perpetrated on it by the Bush administration since 9/11.

Don't be tempted by the rhetoric. The New Republic, in a piece picked up by the Huffington Post, exposes Paul's racist views as published in his newsletter, concluding:

"What they reveal are decades worth of obsession with conspiracies, sympathy for the right-wing militia movement, and deeply held bigotry against blacks, Jews, and gays. In short, they suggest that Ron Paul is not the plain-speaking antiwar activist his supporters believe they are backing--but rather a member in good standing of some of the oldest and ugliest traditions in American politics."

Whatever undecideds -- and all other voters do -- they must remember not to attempt a write-in vote for candidates whose names aren't on the ballot -- John Edwards and Barack Obama.

Those ballots will be judged spoiled and thrown out.

As we learned in New Hampshire, peopole making up their minds at the last minute can affect the outcome.

So undecideds -- choose wisely.