The major trouble, says her husband, is that both men have ethical blots on their records. But both say they plan to overcome their cynicism and vote for one or the other. In the end, they say, it will come down to issues and vice-presidential picks. Indeed, pollsters say independents are hardly monolithic, which makes wooing them especially hard. And this year, in some states, there are more than ever.
New Jersey is a key swing state with an apparently growing independent or undecided vote.
In April of 1992, just 8 percent of the state's voters were undecided between the three main presidential candidates. But this year, fully 25 percent of New Jersey voters are undecided, says Rutgers University pollster Cliff Zukin. Many people who supported McCain and former Sen. Bill Bradley haven't begun backing either of the standard-bearers, he says. There's a hefty middle that's bigger than usual. Furthermore, when independents or undecideds see the two candidates go after each other on character, observers say, they conclude that the entire establishment is sullied.