That's the most frustrating part; it's possible to privatize SS without affecting the benefits of current recipients. (I don't really blame them, they were lied to their entire lives about the nature of SS). But that won't stop Democrats from blatantly lying to retired people and telling them that Republicans are out to steal their benefits, and too many of them buy it.
Many of them who experienced the great depression, IMO, wanted to be fooled and lied to. I don't think a lot of them wanted to face what were the real problems of that day. One of the problems being an out of control government, no longer responding to the Constitution.