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New York Times: Op-Ed Contributor: In Search of the Swing Voter

It is a time-honored tradition in campaigns, this quest for the swing voter. But ask yourself: do you know anyone who really vacillates between the two political parties with each election? It's not common. The vast majority of people always vote the same party — when they vote.

That three-word phrase — "when they vote" — is the key to understanding swing voters. The most accurate definition of a swing voter is a person who swings between voting and not voting. No matter how defined, however, swing voters remain the most coveted, and most influential, demographic in American politics. And this year's swing voter could very well be . . . Young People.