Forget Students and the Youth Vote: AARP Went Big For Obama
Reader Comments
AARP
I quit the AARP years ago when they campaigned vigorously to stop Bush's plan for Social Security.
It was a good plan, much better than what it is now.
Most of the folks running AARP are liberal-left.
AARP Voters for Hussein Obama
I’m 73 and have avoided membership in AARP because I feel they support the Democratic Party. Now I see that AARP members went big for Obama which means one thing to me. AARP members are a more senile bunch than I thought they were.
I had hoped that those of us born before or during the depression of the 1930’s would have a better understanding of our great country’s founding and appreciate the Constitution of the United States. This is the greatest country in the history of the world and I believe that the leftist leanings of Obama and the Dumbocrat party and the legislation they will pass are the beginning of the end.
If the leftists want to live in a socialistic society, why don’t they just move to some European country and quit trying to ruin this great country of ours.
Strong AARP Bias Against McCain/Palin
I was shocked at the strong bias against McCain/Palin in the "interviews." Their was no attempt at fairness or balance. Were the interviewers pro-Obama young people? The ethics of jounalism died in 2008. I take exception with the comment "the candidates were all given the same chance to respond to the questions and they were not edited." How in the world could someone say that? The editing is apparent in the answers. To be fair, each candidate should have been interviewed either orally or by written question, and the answer limited to one paragraph.
I have a question. If you really wanted to know where the two candidates stood on the issues, all you had to do was go to their web site and read, think, analyze, and look up their record to evaluate whether they were telling the truth. John McCain always said to research his record, who he fought for what legislation he voted for and against. What was the point of the AARP biased interviews except to fool a lot of seniors into voting for a candidate who is not on their side and too inexperienced to fix anything. After two years of saying he had a wonderful economic plan, and 95% or the people would be taxed at a lower rate, and things would just be so much better with his PLAN, he just announced he has has a committee working on a FINANCIAL PLAN he can present to the American people. What he said to get elected has been thrown overboard. He had NO REAL PLAN. It was just B.S. for the gullible. Talk about buyer's remorse! McCain and Palin could be trusted and taken at their word to fight for everyone, including seniors. They had a workable plan that they would see got implemented.
I keep wondering what the results would have been if there was no bias in the media, and no voter fraud had taken place. ACORN played a role, and so did illegal aliens voting once they were illegally registered. Next time, why not have everyone show their notarized birth certificate or proof of citizenship?
The lastest I hear is that Obama is going to use executive privilege and ignore Congress to eliminate legislation that was voted on and became law. He is acting more like someone who is crowning himself a king instead of a president of a democracy.
Some one here said, "The next four years should never be forgotten by no-one of african american descent." I agree! The next four years, and eight years if Obama has his way, should never be forgotten by all races, and anyone who believes in democracy and the Constitution this nation was founded on. If this nation survives, it will be a painful lesson that must never be repeated to elect a manipulation, deceitful, inexperienced socialist/communist no matter how entertaining an orator he is.
Finally, I must say that there are two requirements to run for president. One is to be 35 years of age. The other is to be born in America. Obama refuses to admit he was born in Kenya, even though his own grandmother was there in the delivery room.
AARP
AARP member, I do not agree with your thoughts on AARP and the bias against McCain. Their website was very useful and I read the voters guides on state and federal races. The candidates were all given the same chance to respond to the questions and they were not edited. I talked with several AARP volunteers at a rally I went to and they were dedicated to getting the word out on the issues not the candidates.
Get off the backs of AARP and admit that McCain lost because he was the inferior candidate and both young and old realized that.
Consider This
Come on, of course the 50+ vote was numerically larger than the "youth vote." You're talking about a much broader range and larger bloc of voters when compared with the narrow range (ages 18-29) usually included in the youth vote.
But consider this. In 2004, 17 percent of all voters were between the ages of 18 and 29 and John Kerry won their votes by 9 percentage points over George Bush. Nine percent of 17 improved Kerry's overall total by 1.5 percent. In 2008, President-Elect Obama won the 18 percent youth vote by an incredible 34 percent. That made a 6.1 percent difference (.18 x .34 = 6.1) in his margin of victory, which right now stands at around 6.2 percent. Without the youth vote, Obama would have lost (at least) Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Indiana.
voting for the best
I am from south carolina and I dont believe that older or younger votes won the election for barack. It is the fact that EVERY persons vote counted on that day. No matter where you from, who you are, young or old, We (black people) made history as of November 4, 2008. 2000 years ago our ancestors were getting beaten in a basement somewhere and serving slave masters and today the ancestors of the same people voted us in. The next four years should never be forgotten by no-one of african american descent.
If you look at the CNN national exit polls the youth vote under 30 was 18% of the electorate but they split 2 to 1 nationwide giving Obama 12% vs 6% for McCain
Thus there was a 6% advantage from the under 30 vote and the election was won with only 5% margin.
For all intents and purposes the above 30 vote fought to a draw and McCain won by 1%.
The loading of under 30 votes in the battleground states was what won this election not the senior vote.
lest you forget
I am not sure why the big deal about the over 50 crowd voting for Barack. We were the 'hippy' generation and believed we could change the world(did everyone forget?).
Maybe some had changed over the years but it appears that most of us kept our dreams alive and when we had a chance we finally do something we did it....with the help of an awesome candidate.
Consider this a changing of the guard, as our generation moves toward retirement we graciously put our hopes and dreams in the hands of a new generation.
Thank you Barack
AARP
I am a member of AARP and was concerned about the bias against McCain shown in the e-mails I received. It was as if a young Obama supporter was in charge of internet communications. There were "interviews" with comments that McCain refused to answer this and that, when I know he was very open willing to speak on any topic in a straight forward, easily understood language. So the "interview" had lengthy researched answers that read like press releases, with a sentence or two by McCain. There was no attempt at balance, or submitting the interviews to both sides and asking for any elaboration. I think everyone is aware and have observed media bias and slanting the news with sarcasm and untruths against McCain/Palin. I may drop my membership because of this bad reporting, with the result that we have a president elect that even the media are now grumbling that they don't really know, who gave a creepy acceptance speech with no one else allowed on the stage as he watched the people watching him and the Obama creature he had conjured up. I canceled my newspaper and told them why. I wrote to AARP and got back a vapid general non answer after two weeks. McCain truly cared about seniors and had solid plans to help them and could be trusted in his words and promise that he would fight for everyone, including seniors. Palin had the same honest fighting spirit. By the way, the stock market voted by dropping a thousand points after Obama was elected. Just pray this country survives four years of an inexperienced, incompetent, manipulative, arrogant and vindictive socialist. Forget about freedom of the press. Any reporter asking hard questions or criticizing him is banned for four years from any interview with him, Biden, or his staff.
