The economic solutions to Medicare are complicated. Neither side has something easy to understand
for the average person without serious study and probably education in
economics and public policy. I doubt
that the question of whether Obama’s plan or Ryan’s plan would take more from
the system is very relevant to them. What
is maybe relevant is that Obama's reductions would not be very directly visible
to the end user.
People recall George Bush's desire to privatize social
security just prior to the collapse of the stock market. Some people also don't listen well and don't
spend a lot of time trying to understand things they are confused by, but they
may very well recall an impression they had that someone wanted to reduce their
security, while perhaps orchestrating an enormous, unprecedented “giveaway” of
their money from government to the wall street private sector. Ryan’s plan may, rightly or wrongly, bring
back such thoughts.
Some people can be greedy.
I heard an interview recently with some Medicare people reveling in the
fact that they got hundreds of thousands of dollars health care though Medicare
but didn't have to pay anything for it. They
didn't see this as generous or lucky, but rather as well -deserved and not to be
disturbed for themselves or their children. They don't want to pay more for
it. Some said they were Democrats, but
some also said they were Republicans.
The elderly, people on Medicare, constitute an enormous, motivated
voting block with a lot of time of their hands.
So, I think lots of people on Medicare who get out to vote
will not vote for Romney/Ryan because they think Republicans want to do away
with their current security, even if they could save the system for someone
else after they are dead. It won't take
much of a shift for this kind of thinking to influence the election
results. People may be disgusted with Obama,
be tired of him and disappointed, but they have little real reason to trust the
other side with their security. The Democrats
are bent on giving away government (my) money like drunken sailors, but many elderly
suspect the Republicans will too, just to different people.
The Good Doctor
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