There is no “lockbox” like Algore was constantly proclaiming. That money isn’t squirreled away somewhere and saved. It’s spent and doesn’t earn a cent in interest.
The numbers still apply.
Then seniors will view the termination or abridgement of these benefits as large-scale theft from the productive classes. And vote accordingly. The GOP is supposed to represent the productive classes. The moment it joins the Democrats in separating the productive classes from what they (mostly) paid for, its raison d'etre will have vanished into thin air.