Seniors seen as crucial bloc for McCain

[DesertRat]

Political scientists and recent polls give Sen. John McCain an edge over Sen. Barack Obama among older voters, which may bode well for McCain in the presidential election because seniors are the most reliable voters.

A June survey by the Pew Research Center indicates that registered voters ages 65 and up prefer McCain over Obama, 44 percent to 37 percent. The same survey's results among all ages gave Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, an 8-point advantage over McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. The poll, based on telephone interviews of 2,004 U.S. adults, had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

As the race for the White House becomes more intense, the campaigns are stepping up efforts to reach the influential voting group. Obama's national campaign hired a seniors constituency director this week, and both campaigns plan to mobilize volunteers to reach out to their peers. McCain especially will need the older voters to offset an expected surge of younger voters toward Obama, political scientists say.

"I think seniors this time would probably go with McCain above Obama. Generally speaking, they like a 'known' over an 'unknown.' They don't like change," said Allan Saxe, a political science associate professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, who, at 69, is himself a senior.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/12/20080712McCain-seniors0712.html

[skooooo]

1. "Social Security is a disgrace."

McCain has lost the AARP vote.

[depakid]

2. That one was a beauty

Question is whether the Obama campaign will use all the ammunition that's been handed to them, or will they try to take the "high road" again.

[AZBlue]

3. He just skipped the Medicare vote.

I hate the The Arizona Republic(an) - it's such a right-wing rag.

[DesertRat]

4. Agreed.

They usually love McBush. I was surprised yesterday when they printed the story about the rift between the Reagans and McCain after he dumped Carol.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/07/11/20080711mccain-divorce0711.html

[AZBlue]

5. The editor must have gone to lunch and some liberal reporter snuck that in!

:D

Thanks for the link - I put in my two cents on azcentral and was pleased to see an overwhelming majority of the comments were similar.

[DesertRat]

6. I enjoyed reading the comments

:)