Politics and Money

[BOREALIS]

Democrats refocus on protecting Social Security for 2014

Mon Sep 22, 2014 at 11:34 AM PDT
by Joan McCarter



Gone are the days of "chained CPI" and deficit peacockery among elected Democrats. At least for the duration of this election. Democrats are finally recognizing the electoral gold Republicans have provided them. They're running on protecting Social Security and Medicare these days.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/21/us/politics/to-win-back-older-voters-democrats-talk-up-medicare-and-social-security-.html

In the first half of September, one in five Democratic ads dealt with either a candidate’s commitment to the programs or, more often, the threat from Republicans, according to Kantar Media CMAG, a nonpartisan media monitor. By comparison, one in 10 Republican ads mentioned the programs, typically to answer Democrats’ assaults.

Many Democratic candidates, party committees and allied groups are drawing a link between Republican plans to overhaul Medicare and Social Security and cut taxes for wealthy Americans, on the one hand, and Republicans’ support from the billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch.

Meanwhile, you've got Republicans like Carlos Curbelo, who is challenging Rep. Joe Garcia, on the campaign trail telling audiences that Social Security and Medicare are Ponzi schemes

and raising the retirement age and means testing both programs.

It's not like Democrats are making up the fact that Republicans are hostile to these programs—not when they stand up in places like Florida(!) and tell voters so.

Democrats shouldn't just be defending Social Security, they should be working to expand it, as polling has demonstrated. This is the real no-brainer of politics. Republicans had a lot of success in 2010 and 2012 running against Democrats on Medicare, with the big lie about Obamacare's Medicare cuts. Democrats lost the senior vote by 21 points in 2010, and President Obama lost seniors to Mitt Romney by 12 points. In a mid-term election, cutting into those losses among seniors is vital. Looks like Democrats have recognized that.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/22/1331595/-Democrats-refocus-on-protection-Social-Security-for-2014