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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bread Upon The Water who wrote (240896)	1/1/2014 12:31:28 PM
From: JohnM	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541556

As to the pols--i answered that. They are playing to the Senior citizen influence in money and votes. I think you are right about the pols but can't infer that the non-senior US population is there in the "broad' support category. Greetings and a happy new year. As for the comment that we lack a crucial test moment for "broad support" for Medicare and SS, we'll just have to agree to disagree. I have little to no doubt that if the Reps thought the only "broad support" for such lay among the senior population, they would be out beating the drums to get rid of both Medicare and SS. "Socialism", they would say. Which is, of course, one of the larger, more malicious over generalization around since it's only welfare state capitalism at its debatable best. As for the younger generations, the only serious, somewhat widespread fear I hear is not about Medicare. Most I talk with (parents of school age children in the local school system or patrons of the local library) consider that will be one of the benefits of retirement and don't begrudge payments. When it comes to social security, their fear is that it won't be there, not that they have to pay for it. But any serious political campaign to undermine it further (you can opt out), would not fare well with them. As you may know, I live in a Democratic town in a Democratic state so you may discount all this. And you live in what has now become more than simply a red state (whatever color is red beyond red). So we can discount one another's anecdotal evidence. Which takes us back to the wisdom of the political class. And the silence of the those opposed to government programs on this point is deafening.