Qualcuno era comunista? Gli elettori indecisi di fronte al voto

The essay explores the phenomenon of political indecision in the 2008 Italian Election Campaign, focusing on the role played by the media in the final choice. The undecided voters, who were identified initially by means of a structured questionnaire (2427 citizens), were subsequently interviewed in depth (136 among the undecided voters) and then re-contacted a few days before the election (99). By means of this on-going approach, it was therefore possible to “follow” the undecided left-wing voters (53) and their decisional processes up until the moment of the vote. The use of non-standard instruments also made it possible to examine the motivational aspects and the evaluations of the undecided voters. The final orientation seems to be the fruit of contingent humours, not of choices made thanks to the effects of the Campaign. The media are no longer able to “mediate” the relationship between ordinary citizens and the political system.