Might not be the best analogy. They paid into Social Security and Medicare for their whole working lives via involuntary seizure of their wages. They deserve to reap the benefits of what they already paid for. But Uncle Sugar says "So sorry" and tells them to bend over. They are also doing another double bend over because they pay for both Social Security and Medicare, then a Medicare payment is deducted from SS benefits.
It's like those of us who joined the military and were told that if we gave our country 20 years, our country would take care of all our medical care at no cost to us for the rest of our lives. many of kept our part of the deal and are now paying for health insurance.
I think the Tea Party was not so motivated by cuts in Medicare as it was by the robbing Peter to pay Paul, then telling Peter and Paul that they are both so greedy that they need to make some sacrifices. It has gotten so out of control that "Freedom" is a fading concept instead of a mode of existence. If those of us in the Tea Party must sacrifice, so be it, but we want the tyrants out of the picture so We The People can rebuild this once great Nation.
Medicare and ss are ponzi schemes. Older pwople demanding that these scams continue as they are at the expense of younger people are greedy and selfish as they get as even indexed for inflation typically take out far more than they ever put in.