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LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - They sit at the back of the crowd, far from the people waving the "Luvya Dubya" signs. They are dressed plainly and won't wear a Bush-Cheney sticker or shake a pompom. When President Bush speaks, they eye him skeptically.
Most voters already picked a candidate, but a few are still shopping, unsure which brand to choose. They hope that seeing President Bush in person will answer their questions and end their indecision.
Jolene Garvin, 50, came to a Bush rally at the airport Thursday because she had plenty of free time. She recently lost her job at a company that makes phone directories.
She stood against a metal fence as Air Force One landed and taxied toward the crowd. She usually votes Republican and supports the Iraq war, but she's concerned about the economy and unhappy with Bush for failing to catch Osama bin Laden.
"But I'm not sold on Kerry," she said.
Political rallies are designed for the TV cameras and the party faithful. They are carnivals of partisanship: bright signs, loud music and fiery speeches. But for a handful of undecided voters, the rallies are a chance to make a last-minute decision.
The Bush campaign was criticized a few months ago for requiring people who wanted to attend a rally to sign a statement of support. But the campaign says that was a one-time mistake and that rallies are open. Volunteers and supporters are given priority, but as long as there is room, the public can attend.
Undecided voters represent less than 5 percent of the electorate, according to recent polls. Historically, many voters who say they're undecided ultimately don't go to the polls.
But the window shoppers at the Bush rallies said they plan to vote.
Dan Suttles, a firefighter in Brookfield, Ohio, hoped to get some answers at a rally in Vienna. He is a Democrat, but he likes Bush's conservative positions on abortion and other social issues. Suttles applauded as Bush walked down the steps from Air Force One.
"Come over here!" he shouted, but the president was too far away to hear him.
Bush "is a good commander in chief," Suttles said. "That's really important right now."
Still, the economy and education concern him. "My wife is a schoolteacher who may lose her job," he said.
He hoped to attend a Kerry rally this weekend before he decides.
Curious to hear the president, retired pipe fitter Leslie Van Wormer attended a rally in Saginaw, Mich.
"I'm scared of Bush," said Van Wormer, who believes the risk of terrorism has increased because of the Iraq war. But neither is he a fan of Kerry.
"I don't think there's any difference between them," he said. "It's the lesser of two evils."
Christine Gray, a stay-at-home mom, attended a rally in Pontiac, Mich., hopeful that Bush would be positive. She believes both candidates have spent too much time attacking each other and not enough talking about their plans.
Gray, who has voted Republican since 1992, is antiwar and concerned about the possibility of a military draft. But she is skeptical of Kerry because she doesn't know his position on the draft.
At each rally, Bush delivered a variation of his standard stump speech. He said the Iraq war was critical to the fight against terrorism, that he opposes a draft and that Kerry is too liberal.
After the speeches, the shoppers were still not convinced about the president.
"He didn't win me over," said Gray. "I'm still a little confused."
In Lancaster, Garvin stood at the back of the crowd shaking her head.
"I've heard all that before," she said. "I'm still not sure."