The main battleground of the 2008 presidential election is the province of independent, middle-of-the-road voters who skew neither strongly Democrat nor Republican. To reach these voters that hold sway in 14 states, researchers say candidates must adjust their messages to address local issues, the economy and the war. And they may need to spend more time online or at sporting events to deliver those messages.
Just Who Are These Purple People Voters?
According to a study by USC Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center Key, the so-called purple voters:
Love the TV shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 60 Minutes, CSI, and Sunday Night Football.
Enjoy listening to news and talk radio.
Rock out to classic rock stations.
Spend a lot of time cheering on their favorite sports teams on TV.
Start their Web surfing by going to Google.
Get a kick out of silly YouTube videos.
Look for news online.
Rarely listen to celebrity endorsements.
Think Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney are relatively well informed.
