Battling R.W. Yahoo News article commenters - Financial crisis origins

[Speck Tater]

7. "There are plenty of independent and swing voters who read the comments"

What is the source for this claim?

Do you know this to be true, or do you merely wish it to be true.

I, personally, never read comments on Yahoo stories, and I don't really know anyone who does. Anyone who has a life, at least.

I stand by my claim that posting to Yahoo comments is worthless and an utter waste of time. The comments capability is not added to a web page to provide a source of information, but to provide a way for the web site to stroke the egos of people who are in need of validation by seeing their name in "print".

My guess (and this IS a guess, which I will not try to pass off as a fact) is that the average independent and swing voter isn't really interested in the race yet, and probably only reads the first paragraph or two of any Yahoo story before clicking off the page. Swing and independent voters are not like Freepers or DU'ers. At this point in the race they really don't give a damn yet. They are not independent because they are weighing the issues carefully. They are independent because they are not engaged in the process enough to care at this early date. They are not political junkies like the people who DO read the comments (but will NEVER be swayed by them).

Remember, people, as a rule, don't weigh the facts and then make a reasoned decision. They make an irrational decision based on emotional factors, and they make it in a split second. Once that choice is made, they stick with it. Chances are 75% of the uncommitted won't bother to go to the polls, and those that do won't make up their minds until they are standing in the booth with a pencil in their hands. And when they make that decision they certainly will not bear in mind some witty repartee seen in a Yahoo comments section 5 months earlier.

I know, you really, really, really want to change some people's minds with your brilliant insights, but realistically, it ain't going to happen. Your time would be much better spent talking, face to face, with actual uncommitted voters and trying to get them excited enough to vote. Face to face, not by leaving Internet graffiti on a web article they will never even see.