Why Seniors Are Turning Against The GOP

[deminks]

http://www.nationalmemo.com/carville-greenberg/why-seniors-are-turning-against-the-gop/#.UgL2ktvHqTk.twitter

There’s something going on with seniors: It is now strikingly clear that they have turned sharply against the GOP. This is apparent in seniors’ party affiliation and vote intention, in their views on the Republican Party and its leaders, and in their surprising positions on jobs, health care, retirement security, investment economics, and the other big issues that will likely define the 2014 midterm elections.

(snip)

—More than half (55 percent) of seniors say the Republican Party is too extreme, half (52 percent) say it is out of touch, and half (52 percent) say the GOP is dividing the country. Just 10 percent of seniors believe that the Republican Party does not put special interests ahead of ordinary voters.

—On almost every issue we tested — including gay rights, aid to the poor, immigration, and gun control — more than half of seniors believe that the Republican Party is too extreme.

(snip)

—89 percent of seniors want to protect Medicare benefits and premiums.

—87 percent of seniors want to raise pay for working women.

(end snip)

GOP - Party of none.

[on point]

1. They are not the party of none. They still have the ignorant, gullible, the hateful and the greedy

[brewens]

2. I had probably slightly under 50 woman I work with surprise me, at least a little.

She's a rural Idaho country girl but I had heard her say she was a biker chick before she had her first baby. Still, that can mean extremely conservative. She was complaining about Facebook and political posts and friends of hers that post stuff that just isn't true. I chipped in with "my right-wing friends have been really good lately so I haven't posted much politically either lately." I said that to smoke her out. She replied with a bunch of examples that confirmed she's at least really moderate but probably liberal.

If Republicans are losing the seniors, they are toast! Once that pendulum starts to swing the other way, there is no stopping it!

[IrishAyes]

4. Let's hope so.

Real biker chicks tend to be extremely conservative because the subset of men they prefer is overwhelmingly alpha in nature. That said, I'm glad to hear this particular one is smarter. Some do grow up.

[brewens]

11. It's kind of funny with bikers. i know many. A lot of them are veterans and that love to wave

the flag. They also love their weed! Other drugs of course in some circles but most of the older guys I know are past that. They just like to drink and smoke weed.

So why are they so right-wing and patriotic? Revering the same kind of people that would have loved to lock them up 20 or 30 years ago? It must be kind of like the German-Americans during WWI that started the whole flag waving thing. Hey! Look at us, we love this country and we even have flags! Most people never even thought of owning their own flag before that.

[IrishAyes]

16. Interesting.

One time when I was not exactly being stalked but certainly pestered by a non-biker guy, I happened to meet one of the local bikers at the post office; didn't know him from Adam but had seen him around. I asked him very nicely if he'd just go and talk to the other guy, say I was his sister or something and he didn't want to hear about me being bothered again. That's all. He seemed delighted to oblige. Next thing I heard, the pest had moved away.

Need I mention the biker guy looked like he might've been able to scare Sonny Barger?

[LongTomH]

3. The GOP wins by disenfranchising people; but, who's left for them to disenfranchise?

[IrishAyes]

5. Themselves, hopefully?

They do have a fatal fondness for circular firing squads. Lordy how I love to see Boehner run around with his hair on fire. Beautiful sight.

[tblue]

6. About time.

They're just figuring that out now really?

[libodem]

7. Yep

GOP means: Get Out People!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. The Lawrence Welk crowd is being replaced by The Grateful Dead crowd.

[Waiting For Everyman]

10. I agree,

I took too long to post and didn't see you had made the same point.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. Wait until the Grateful Dead crowd is replaced by the Sex Pistols crowd.

[IrishAyes]

19. Will they elect a Johnny Rotten president?

At first I wrote "we" but then realized what an anachronism that is. I'll likely be gone by that time.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. Imagine when the Lady Gaga crowd retires....

[IrishAyes]

21. EEEEEK!!!!

You scared me out of ten years' growth!

[eShirl]

12. that reminds me...

[Spitfire of ATJ]

14. Damn lines kept getting blown away by passing trains.

[IrishAyes]

17. Sounds like a plan!

[Waiting For Everyman]

9. I have a hunch why.

The WW2 generation is dying off at a rapid rate now. Many are in their 90's. For instance my parents, who were WW2 gen, died in 2005 and this year. So from now on, each year the category of seniors will be more and more made up of boomers. (For instance, this is the first year I will technically be in that group.) And no matter what anybody thinks, we are not as conservative as the WW2 generation was. The Korea era contingent (those roughly high school age at that time) yes they are very conservative too like the WW2 gen, but not the "born in 1948 or after" group (I think of it as the Beatles era group -- 1948 to say 1955, the core boomers). There are many more of us core boomers than the Korea group, we were the forefront of the population growth.

So in another 5 or 10 years, I think the shift will be even greater.

[CK_John]

15. VoterID laws will prevent most from voting, don't count on those votes until

your see them on the registration rolls.

[B Calm]

18. So then they go out and vote for a tea bagger instead. . .