Bush? — Valley’s undecided look for an exit strategy — Kerry?

Even with the race for U.S. president on Southern Oregon’s doorstep last week, Scott Ford still can’t make up his mind.

Like a dwindling number of the region’s voters, Ford, a 42-year-old independent living in Ashland, remains determinedly undecided about the nation’s two top candidates.

"I’m frustrated with what the Bush administration has done," said Ford, a marketing manager for a Medford nonprofit agency. "Do I like the potential unknown that comes along with Kerry? I just don’t."

Ford knows he’s in the minority. Just last week, a Mail Tribune/KTVL Channel 10 poll showed that only 5 percent of local voters remained unsure. Most people polled had distinct preferences for either President George W. Bush or Sen. John Kerry, who remained locked in a race too close to call.

But for Ford and others on the fence, time is running out. First ballots for Oregon’s vote-by-mail election were sent out Friday; all must be distributed by Tuesday. Voters must return their ballots by 8 p.m. Nov. 2 to be counted.

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The presence of a ballot on the kitchen counter will only increase the pressure for undecideds, who say their indecision stems from a combination of inattention, distraction and genuine confusion over conflicting values.

"I admit it. I haven’t seen the debates, I haven’t paid a whole lot of attention to what’s going on," Ford said. "I think I’ll probably spend the last few moments to really take the time to weigh all the evidence. I’ll listen to my friends’ opinions and then go with my heart."

Worries about the war in Iraq are at the heart of many undecided voters’ concerns. Even those who previously voted Republican say they’re not sure they can continue to support President Bush.

"I really want to know, where is the closure?" said independent Racquel Berglund, 27, a student and mother who lives near Rogue River. "I’m done with it. I don’t know how much (Bush) is. I want my family home. It’s highly emotional for me."

Mark Darris, 42, who runs an automotive business in Medford, said he would have liked to ask President Bush a question during his visit.

"What’s your exit strategy for getting out of Iraq in a reasonable amount of time, before the end of your next term?" said Darris, also an independent.

However, Darris said he’s no more confident in Kerry.

"I would ask Kerry the exact same question. I think it’s time to come home from Iraq," he said.

Domestic issues dominate other undecided voters’ views. Independent Shannon Hilton, 34, of Central Point, said health care is a concern for her family, which includes two kids ages 4 and 2.

"We pay a lot, we don’t have vision, we don’t have dental," she said. "But I don’t know if I’m for Kerry’s plan, the part that he was talking about government policy. I don’t know if that’s such a good thing.

"I’m really in the middle on everything," she added.

Differences in the personal style of the candidates also are influencing unsure voters. Virginia Price, 55, a Republican living in the Applegate Valley, said she’s leaning toward Kerry solely because she believes he’ll support stem cell research that could help a 19-year-old nephew recently paralyzed in a swimming accident. Other than that, though, Price is not sure.

"I haven’t really liked Kerry," said Price. "I don’t like the way he talks down to people. I don’t like his oration. I always feel like a little ant on the ground and he’s God on high. I hate that. On the other hand, Bush is almost incoherent when he speaks."

Undecided voters have been the target of some derision as Election Day nears, but those still waiting to choose say it’s not because they’re uninformed or stupid. Most say they plan to vote and they take the responsibility of civic duty seriously enough to delay it until they’re sure.

"I’m certainly not going to be the one who’ll sit back and gripe and complain about what happens because of my inaction," said Ford. "At least I’m part of the process."

Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail jaleccia@mailtribune.com