Posted on 05/17/2011 4:34:44 AM PDT by ejdrapes
Though former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has been skewered by conservative opinion makers since criticizing House Budget Chairman Paul Ryans budget plan on Meet the Press Sunday, political prognosticators expect that other Republican candidates will soon follow Gingrichs lead. Popular entitlement programs like Medicare, which would be drastically altered in Ryans budget proposal, have historically been the third rails of American politics, issues which politicians on both sides of the aisle are reluctant to target for change. While cutting spending is the GOPs current mantra, political reality says that a large portion of voting Republicans are senior citizens, aged 65 and older, who dont want politicians to tinker with Medicare. In 2009, Gallup presented a breakdown of Republican voters that showed that since 2001 only one percent of senior citizens had abandoned the Republican Party. It showed that all other age groups left for the Democratic Party in droves. Another Gallup poll released earlier this month revealed that more than any other age group, senior citizens are less worried about the financial state of Medicare and other entitlements programs. Only 29 percent of respondents over the age of 65 said they see the Medicare entitlement as causing a fiscal crisis within the next ten years. Dr. Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, told The Daily Caller there are a number of reasons why Republicans will be seeking to distance themselves from Ryans budget proposal in 2012. Chief among them is the fact that senior citizens are scared away by any talk of a major Medicare overhaul. Moreover, any state with a disproportionate number of senior citizens will be affected, said Sabato, who pointed specifically to Florida, Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania. One Florida Democrat source familiar with the states political process told TheDC that Floridians of all stripes Democrats, Republicans and independents are rightly concerned about the Republicans fighting to end Medicare. The source went on to predict that the Republican mantra for the 2012 election will be: I am not Paul Ryan. When TheDC contacted the campaigns, official or otherwise, of Republican contenders, only former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum publicly attacked Gingrich for his comments. For several years, Newt Gingrich has deserved a lot of credit for thinking through a great many issues I a serious and interesting fashion, said Santorum. But his criticism of Congressman Paul Ryans Medicare reform plan yesterday was a big departure from Speaker Gingrichs often sound policy proposals. Spokespersons for Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Tim Pawlenty simply pointed to past statements praising Ryans proposal as a step in the right direction when contacted by TheDC. Representatives for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman did not return requests for comment. Doug Sachtleben, spokesperson for potential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, told TheDC that Bachmann voted for the proposal in the House, while noting that it is an aspirational document with goals that would change the trajectory of failure. But when asked about Medicare specifically, Sachtleben said that Bachmann has fought for seniors through her untiring effort to repeal Obamacare and its $500 billion in cuts to Medicare. It is no secret that Democrats plan to make Medicare a theme of the 2012 elections and force Republicans to explain why they would support a budget plan that cuts Medicare spending. Democratic attacks on campaigning politicians who voted for or supported Ryans plan, according to Sabato, will force Republicans to at the very least
have to respond and explain their vote, if not move away from it. And when youre explaining or flip-flopping, youre losing ground and costing yourself and lot of money that youd rather be spending touting your accomplishments and attacking the opposition, he added. This is something every GOP contender will have to deal with, Reed Galen, a California-based Republican strategist told TheDC. My guess is you will see most of them be as non-committal as they can be while holding to conservative principles. When Chairman Ryan put out his plan, it was universally lauded for its bold approach, for his willingness to confront what are going to be serious and real issues, Galen added. But of course that will run smack into politics.
Other GOPers likely to follow Gingrichs lead in criticizing Ryans budget plan, say political analysts
12:04 AM 05/17/2011
And, Tucker rarely misses an opportunity to bash Sarah. That tells me all I need to know about the DC/Tucker.
One Florida Democrat source familiar with the states political process told TheDC that Floridians of all stripes Democrats, Republicans and independents are rightly concerned about the Republicans fighting to end Medicare.
The source went on to predict that the Republican mantra for the 2012 election will be: I am not Paul Ryan.
Oh and Larry Sabato.....*roll eyes*
Medicare is a disaster for doctors, but it is a pretty good deal for seniors in the system. There is a reason why 80 percent of Americans don’t want to change the system. Republicans have done an extremely poor job in explaining to the public why the system cannot be sustained.
Yeah, now that Gingrich has provided them a dirty skirt to hide behind!
Daily Caller is not left wing, but it’s not what you would call a Reaganesque Tea Party Conservative type publication either. Tucker is more reasonable than his sister Margaret Carlson (then again, who isn’t) — but he’s very Washingtonian.
I would assume that his staff would be folks he mostly agrees with. You know, “reasonable conservatives.” Ahem.
For years, we’ve been hearing people claim that they want the same plan that fed employees & congress gets. This IS the same plan that they get. It will be a cafeteria-type plan where you can choose your benefits. If I read it right, there will be a market available if you wish to purchase additional coverages.
However, the two things I would add to this are the following:
1. Ryan’s plan should be tested at the state level, in several regions of the country, to iron out the problems. Pilot programs.
2. Starting at age 18, I’d immediately institute a HSA program. A % of earnings deposited into a HSA to cover present & future healthcare, tax shielded. No death panels, full choice of doctors, etc.
My sweetie was apprehensive back in 2008 (during the election) when I suggested he should enter the HSA program at work, rather than traditional insurance. Finally, in 2010 he had to, as the premiums were chewing up too much of his paycheck to make ends meet.
He absolutely LOVES it. He is saving 30% on his health care bill, and this is a widower with 4 school aged kids. It’s blissfully simple, he keeps his own doctors (his doctors love it too). To the best of my knowledge, HSAs are the only system that actually brings costs down.
Btw, this is the one strong area for Mitch Daniels. I believe he converted his state Medicaid program to HSAs and they have been a hit.
Utter BS. The MSM portrays seniors ignorant, easily scared and greedy when it comes to entitlement reform. Anything that stops the gravy train allegedly will spook them like a herd of cattle to stampede against any politician who proposes it. I don't believe it. In townhall meetings and even in polls, seniors seem willing to go for common sense reforms that don't cut into what they need to live but which curtail growth. As a prior poster pointed out, most plans do absolutely nothing to cut benefits for seniors or those close to retirement. I don't see how that is going to cause seniors to vote against the the GOP.
Any GOP member of the House or Senate, or any presidential candiate, who says anything against the Ryan plan and who defends current entitlements the way they are deserves to lose. They disgust me. Gingrich disgusts me.
There is a way to acknowledge the concerns seniors have without trashing Paul Ryan.
There is a way to acknowledge the concerns seniors have without trashing Paul Ryan.
I'm a senior citizen, and I am ANGRY at the attacks on Ryan. Anyone want to form a "Senior Citizens Against Republican Faint-hearts?" [SCARF!]
We could form a PAC and smother these cowards in their beds.
HSA’s are indeed a large part of the answer. Dubya was touting them as best he could for years, so has Rush. They just make sense.
Looks like the GOP has finally found something it is good at. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
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