THE CUTS to Medicare talked about in the ad above are not in disagreement. However, the Ryan plan would keep these same Medicare cuts. The devil is in how the cuts are utilized.
Obamacare reduces reimbursements to hospitals and private insurance, as well as Medicaid, all of which AARP signed on to when they came out to support the Affordability Care Act.
Paul Ryan’s notion for Medicare is to end it as an entitlement and replace it with a voucher type program that seniors could use to buy their own insurance. One issue I heard raised on PBS “News Hour” is that when Ryan’s proposed idea to raise the retirement age from 65 to 67 takes effect, people between 65 and 67 would be left in no man’s land to buy insurance themselves.
I’m also wondering how the Medicare issue will end up playing in Florida, a battleground state Romney has to win because he’s got no path out west, since there’s likely no senior in that state who isn’t aware that they won’t be impacted by Ryan’s plan, because they’re over 55.
Seniors over 55 are some of the most informed voters, so nobody is going to fool them that their benefits are in jeopardy. How this plays for the next generation, especially blue collar and middle class workers living paycheck to paycheck, is another story.
Where’s that ad from Team Obama?
If we start talking about Medicaid, that’s where Ryan’s plan is catastrophic. Oh, sorry, I forgot, who cares about the poor?
If Obama responds to this he looses. Romney is hoping to fight to a draw. They just want to be able to confuse and muddle the issue so much that no one knows who is telling the truth or whom to believe.
Hit back, hard. But do not defend. Let’s see how smart the Obama ad team is.
The irony is rich in this election but it’s what you get when you have a Democrat who puts forth a plan from the Heritage Foundation.
If the plan doesn’t affect anyone aged 55 and over, why would Seniors care either way?
Maybe because people 55 and older also care about what happens to their kids and their grand kids! Just a thought!
The Romney-Ryan theory really does seem to be “seniors should vote for us, because we are only totally screwing everyone else.” It’s Fox’s message too, and the nonstop bleating meme of very single right wing radio yakker.
I wonder if this would work for any other age group- “hey, we are only screwing over little kids! You aren’t a little kid anymore- you are safe! Vote for us!”
My parents are in their eighties. They have no intention of voting for someone who tells them that while THEY will be left alone, their KIDS are going to be in deep trouble. I don’t think they are atypical of seniors.
So you are capable of reason! Kudos!
Always was.
What I’m not capable of us putting blinders on in the service of a political party, which you are expert at. I’d say “Kudos” right back, if I thought that being a sheep was anything to be proud of.
What you call sheep others would call being pragmatic!
Or in other words, knowing which side of your bread is buttered!
Obama’s way around this is to state that he will veto any legislation that has vouchers for Medicare or block grants for Medicaid, But he will not do this because he is alined with Republicans on this issue. He just can’t say so before the elections.
More TPAZ BS! The President and the Republicans are not aligned on this issue! The President’s plan keeps Medicare a single payer system for people 65 and older, the Ryan/Republican plan turns it into a voucher system. The 700 billion the President cuts from Medicare comes from providers and the slowing of the rate of increase and then gets pumped back into the system when Medicare falls under ACA in 2014! The 700 billion the Ryan/GOP plan cuts comes from recipients and goes to the 1% in tax cuts.
Obama has already put Medicare on the table- he’s made it clear that he doesn’t consider it a sacred trust. That has given the Republicans the opening to propose BIGGER cuts to Medicare. If Obama had declared off the bat that Medicare could not be touched, and stuck with that, this would not be as big a problem and the President could stand as the Guy Who Is Saving Medicare For All Of Us.
Don’t any facts in that post just a lot of conjecture!
Yeah, Solo, you’re right. There’s no evidence that Obama could be in a stronger position politically if he had actually defended Medicare. That’s just my conjecture. And since I can’t prove it, I guess that means it’s a good thing he didn’t defend it.
You are a riot, really.
Solo, the truth hurts. Please don’t harm yourself (unless you are a paid troll in which case your postings is just a job) once you discover after the election that Obama is a corporatist gatekeeper just following orders. Understand this; the powers that be are systematically disassembling America’s 20th century social safety net. Americans like you are no longer willing to defend it at any cost. and, Obama’s mandate is to sell its demise to America’s left.
Solo is way too busy being “pragmatic” to read your advice. I believe his term for people like us would be something along the lines of “boat-rockers.” My term for people like him is “Useful Idiots.” The continued selling down the river of the working class by the Corporatist Duopoly would not be possible without a large population of people willing to Get Along by Going Along.
Useful Idiots? A well thought out post if I have ever heard one! You have no argument so you left the insults fly. You can spend your life standing outside the ring throwing rocks if you like I prefer to be in said ring fighting the good fight. ACA doesn’t Medicare into voucher like Paul Ryan’s plan does it strengthens it.
Another fact free post courtesy of TPAZ! Nothing but insults and conjecture! How about some, I don’t know, facts about what President has actually done and spare me your social safety net Armageddon fantasy’s. I hear enough of that from teabaggers.
Solo, do you ever read what Taylor actually writes or do you just pull up a chair and start typing talking points? If you want facts read the link Taylor provided to Corrente: http://correntewire.com/romney_picks_ryan#more
If this transcript is not a fact then please describe what you consider are admissible facts.
TPAZ! How about articles from a reputable news outlet written by a professional journalist. Here is an example that is on topic, Medicare! http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/obama-medicare-cuts-romney-ad-paid-in.php?ref=fpb
The poor; the un- and under-employed; the homeless … the Duopoly considers the millions who fall within this general demograpic as expendable. The “middle class,” on the Right and Left hands, is a campaign “must.” After the election is another story.