Nation: Best of a Bad Bargain

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Slowly, resentfully, the "undecideds"make up their minds

As Election Day approaches, millions of Americans are still struggling to decide which of the three major candidates is the least objectionable and hence should get their reluctant vote. TIME National Political Correspondent John Stacks sought out more than a dozen people in the key state of Pennsylvania, all previously identified by a Yankelovich poll in late August as being "undecided," and asked them to describe how they were coming along in making up their minds. His report:

Harry McKee is a sales manager for Westinghouse who lives in a comfortable suburb of Pittsburgh. Considering himself to be a moderate Republican, he voted for George Bush in the Republican primary this year and for Jerry Ford in the 1976 election. But he was not distressed by Carter's victory then. Says he: "I kind of liked Carter's maverick approach. He sounded so sincere."

He feels different now, and his voice rises slightly as he denounces the President: "I just get a feeling of incompetence from him and his people. Take the U.N. vote [opposing Israel's settlements, for which Carter later apologized]. It made America look so foolish. I feel we're just muddling along." But he is also troubled by Reagan. "I don't get the feel ing that Reagan is a real intelligent man, and that worries me."

For a time, McKee's solution was John Anderson. "I have admiration for him. He's the best candidate. He's refreshing and outspoken." Like others who have drifted away from Anderson, however, McKee is afraid that the independent cannot win. Says he: "If I was in a vacuum, if I didn't know about the polls, I'd go ahead and vote for him. But I feel so strongly that I want to lock Carter out, that if I have to vote for Reagan, that's what I'll do. But I'm still basically undecided. I feel I have worse choices this year than ever before."

Pat Murrin, a truck driver who has been without steady work for nearly a year, lives near McKee. Despite his job problems, he is sticking with Carter "even though he loused up the economy." Says Murrin: "I think the presidency is overrated. It's like a quarterback who gets all the glory but without the rest of the team he can't do it.&"

John and Martha Hook live 29 miles north of Pittsburgh in the small indus trial town of Butler, where he works as a radio station engineer. They have been registered Democrats all their lives and both voted for Carter in 1976 because, in John's words, "Ford pardoned Nixon." But they feel let down by the President. Says Martha: "It takes every penny we have for food and the doctor." The hostage issue rankles with John: "Carter should have had them out of there right away." And Carter has compounded his problem with the Hooks by his campaign tactics. Says Martha: "It's bad when you have to get ahead by criticizing the other candidates." Echoes her husband: "We all know how bad things are in the country. We need to know what they're going to do about it."