Santorum and Medicare, Democrats Like Iowa Results, Aging in America

Anti-Medicare Santorum

"A funny thing happened when Rick Santorum nearly tied Mitt Romney in Tuesday night’s Iowa caucus: The Republican presidential hopeful who has most ardently argued for privatizing Medicare made an incredibly strong showing in the Hawkeye State.  Medicare is usually the third rail of electoral politics.  Voters don’t like changes to the entitlement program, even when politicians suggest expanding it.  And Iowa isn’t exactly a prime location to roll out big Medicare changes: Seniors make up 14.9 percent of the population there, compared with their 13 percent share nationally."  "... all along, Santorum has stood out in the GOP field as the Ryan plan’s biggest cheerleader.  The day after Ryan rolled out his original plan, Santorum praised the House budget chairman’s ideas."

So, how did he do it -- show so well in Iowa when all polls show Medicare's popularity?  One strong possibility is that Iowa voters were not focused on his anti-Medicare position.  That might be combined with thinking that whatever his Medicare position, it would be acceptable, given his other positions that may be more important to them.  As we have recently said, we hope the NCPSSM's "Hands Off - No Cuts" campaign will educate, inform, and mobilize people to the dangers of Conservative Republican proposals to weaken our pre-paid public benefits.  While Mr. Santorum is wrong, just as others are, it does seem that he is "sincere" in his beliefs and not simply mouthing the words that Conservatives want to hear.  This may be a strength for him. Our problem here at TMDR is that his position is just plain wrong.  Check our Occasional Editorials to see why.

Iowa Fallout

"It’s hard to say who was more excited Tuesday night: Rick Santorum, who came within eight votes of beating Mitt Romney or the Democrats watching on their couches at home.  . . .  'Despite Mitt Romney’s $14 million bet to win the Iowa Caucuses by promising to eviscerate Medicare and implement a divisive immigration policy, he could do no better than limp to a pathetic finish that didn’t even beat his 2008 results,' Obama super PAC PrioritiesUSA’s Bill Burton said in a statement.  'But even worse for Romney, should he become the nominee, he now owns a long-term problem with Hispanic and senior voters that will he will not soon live down.'"

It's a problem we bring up on a regular basis:  appealing to the Conservative base of the Republican party means saying things that would make one un-electable in the general election.  American citizens love Medicare and Social Security.  Just how will any one of the Republicans distance themselves from their current views that Medicare and Social Security are too generous and should be cut back or even repealed.  Some of those views are long standing and a deep component of the record.

The Reality of Aging in America

From NCPSSM:  "James Ridgeway at Unsilent Generation provides some desperately needed perspective on the reality of aging in America.  Contrary to Washington’s popular 'greedy geezer' mythology, our nation’s older Americans are not living high on the hog and are in fact facing an extremely uncertain future as Congress continues to find ways to balance our federal books with cuts to programs serving middle-class Americans."  RECOMMENDED READING.

The Republican Reality-Free Zone

Santorum’s Tax Plan Would Likely Add Trillions Of Dollars To The Deficit

Rick Santorum Compares ‘Social Welfare Programs’ Like Medicaid To Fascism In Iowa Speech

Gingrich Calls For A ‘Voucherized’ Veterans Health Care System (again)

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