Obama says he has more of a problem with older voters than with white working class Dems

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: April 24, 2008
Obama: I have a problem courting seniors

(CNN) — Barack Obama said Wednesday he has a problem appealing to senior voters. Assessing his loss in Pennsylvania, the Illinois senator said Tuesday's primary result was not primarily due to how working class Democrats voted — a voting bloc that has long supported Clinton over Obama — then with the decisions of older voters.

"I have to say if you look at and I know my staff has talked about this: If you look at the numbers, our problem has less to do with white working class voters, the problem is, to the extent there is a problem is with older voters," Obama told reporters. "They are very loyal to Sen. Clinton. And I think part of that is they've got a track record of voting for not just Sen. Clinton but also her husband."

"We need to make sure on issues that are important to them — like prescription drugs or pension and retirement security — that I've got a strong track record on those issues and very specific plans to make sure that they are getting the kinds of help that they need," he also said. "And if we do that effectively, which you know we have tried to do it in all the states."

Voters over 65 are among the most reliable members of Clinton's base, though exit polls out of Pennsylvania indicate Obama may be making inroads into this demographic. On Tuesday Clinton won about 60 percent of voters 65 and over. In the Ohio primary six weeks earlier, nearly 75 percent of those voters went for Clinton. The senior vote was particularly important in Pennsylvania as exit polls show nearly 30 percent of the electorate was over 65. In most primary states to date, those voters make up about 15 percent of the electorate.

Obama made similar comments to CNN's Roland Martin earlier Wednesday. "We have won the white-, blue-collar vote in a whole bunch of states … and if we had a demographic problem in Pennsylvania, it was that it's an older state than a lot of states, and it is true that Sen. Clinton has some strong support among voters over 60," he said on Roland Martin's radio show.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/24/obama-i-have-a-problem-with-seniors/

[jackson_dem]

1. When you lose white working class voters 70-30 that cuts across age lines...

[Justitia]

2. Good thing my 83 yr old, white, normally repub Grandmother (in FL, no less) is voting for him!

My grandma loves Obama!

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Obama GRANDmama! nt

[CountAllVotes]

5. we need a t-shirt that says that!!!

My late mom's best friend is still alive (she is a grandmother). She will be 88 years old soon! She is also an Obama supporter. :D

OBAMAGRANDMAMA!!

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Yes, indeed! nt

[ginnyinWI]

4. here's a canvassing story from 2004:

Working for the Kerry campaign, we were at a nursing home getting out the vote, giving information about filling out absentee ballots.

Quote from a nurses' aide who was taking us up in the elevator: "I'm not voting for that baby-killer."

A little while later, when discussing absentee ballots for the residents: "Don't worry about their absentee ballots. We'll take care of them."

Hmm; I wonder how those residents voted??

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Whoa -- I never thought about that possibility in nursing homes. It would, in fact...

be easy to do. Awful!

[ginnyinWI]

14. it was sickening--but nothing we could do about it realistically. nt

[grasswire]

7. wow, those remarks aren't going to help him!!!

He thinks that all seniors care about is prescription drugs and retirement security???????????

Oboy.

Wait until AARP gets through with him on this one. That's a particularly degrading and shallow assessment of the members of this huge voting block -- increasingly made up of the rock and roll generation and the Woodstock generation.

[DeepModem Mom]

9. Good point, grasswire. You could be right on that. nt

[John Q. Citizen]

10. Your characterization is silly. What issue do you think he should have brought up? Woodstock?

Rock and roll- Good or bad?

I understand your frustration. Obama is going to win the nomination and you feel you have a duty and loyalty to Sen. Clinton to attempt to portray our parties nominee in the worst light possible.

But what issue should he have mentioned that you belive he didn't?

[DeepModem Mom]

11. You, too, have a point, John! Although the campaign might be more fun...

with those subjects, for example, as debate topics. (Just kidding.)

[John Q. Citizen]

13. When The Dead did their fundraiser for Barack, I knew he was the one! Micky Hart ain't

nobody's fool!

[aquart]

12. He does find it hard not to let the contempt show, doesn't he?

His supporters, however, don't even try. Yeah, this is the man who will keep Social Security solvent. This is the man who can be trusted with Medicare. Look how he plans to throw bones to the old people.