Sanders is losing the senior vote by wide margins....

[Historic NY]

Polls have consistently shown a growing age gap in the fight for the Democratic nomination: Older Democrats have lined up with 68-year old Hillary Clinton, while younger voters are so far choosing to stand behind Sanders, the 74-year old self-described democratic socialist

A Des Moines Register poll earlier this month found that Clinton has the support of 64% of Iowa Democrats 65 and older, while Sanders has the support of 58% of people younger than 45. A Fox News poll found similar results in New Hampshire: Sanders wins 59% of people under 45 years old, while Clinton wins 52% of people over than 45.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/22/politics/bernie-sanders-seniors/index.html

Seniors aren't going for the Bernie Revolution.......

[JonLeibowitz]

1. I appreciate the focus on substance&issues. Our candidates deserve that respect and I appreciate it.

I especially appreciate the lack of snark in your commentary. This is critical to being able to discuss the issues in depth in an honest and forthright manner, and I greatly value your keen sense of judgement in avoiding it.

Once again, thank you.

[Historic NY]

3. I'd suggest you just toddle over to CNN and read it before you suggest its.

is snark.

[JonLeibowitz]

7. Ageism, how polite! And yes I read the article. I also noticed the parts you chose to post

I'll stand by my earlier comments adulating you for your firm stance on sticking to the issues.

[bjobotts]

19. Lerl me guess. ur a Hillary supporter

[underthematrix]

2. now that's interesting.

[Hortensis]

40. Yes. If Bernie can get the young-adult vote out

for the primary, no matter for whom, that will be a real contribution. They typically don't bother. Probably still expecting adults with fully matured brains to take care of such things.

[comradebillyboy]

66. that's a pretty big if...

[Hortensis]

69. Yes, but...! Let's hope for the best.

[Stargazer99]

4. You wanna bet? this senior is voting Sanders

You must have been talking to those seniors with money

[bkkyosemite]

14. Me too!

[bjobotts]

17. In Iowa maybe but in MO seniors are voting Bernie

[840high]

26. I'm a senior - Go Bernie.

[firebrand80]

39. You just proved the polls wrong, nice job. nt

[ViseGrip]

56. Several petition campaigns in Florida on the ground now, reporting many seniors for Sanders or Trump

[Bonobo]

5. How many ways are there to cut up a person?

Are they old, young, Hispanic, Jewish, Christian, poor, rich, urban, rural, military, southern, atheist, liberal, conservative, college graduates, disabled...

How many ways are there to cut up a person?

[Rod Beauvex]

9. Divide and conquer.

A common Republican tactic.

[DrDan]

37. as well as some here

[TheFarS1de]

68. Identity Politics .....

The flesh eating bacteria of the left .

[ViseGrip]

6. Well that's awful as seniors will be voting against themselves and their grandchildren.

[Chan790]

8. ...and younger voters aren't going for the SAMO of Hillary.

One wonders what mockery Basquiat would have for the fake New Yorker though and her love of everything he considered wrong with his city and its culture.

[appalachiablue]

16. That was a terrible loss. Jean-Michel Basquiat a was brillant, gifted

and tender artist; one of the most creative artists of his time, by far.

[SheilaT]

10. No he's not.

At least this senior is absolutely in the Bernie camp.

[lunamagica]

11. It's hard to fool seniors into believing in unicorns and rainbows

They've been around the block and are realistic.

The Sanders campaign knows that and that's why they are so desperate courting the youth vote...good luck with that

[Dawson Leery]

27. +1

[AgingAmerican]

64. Policy versus Politics

Governance vs Gamesmanship

[williesgirl]

12. This senior is a staunch Bernie supporter. Also a feminist

Who dreamed of seeing a female President in my lifetime. Just not this woman - Hillary.

[Thinkingabout]

13. By history seniors votes, having big numbers in the voting group is a good thing for Hillary.

[JonLeibowitz]

18. You would be incorrect, try again. Without voters younger than 44, we would have Pres. Romney

[Thinkingabout]

20. Do you have proof there is not a larger percentage of older voters who votes?

[JonLeibowitz]

22. That was not my assertion. I asserted that older voting blocs have in the past often voted GOP. n/t

[Thinkingabout]

23. Yes they vote for GOP's also, believe it or not there are older voters who votes for Democratic

candidates also.

[JonLeibowitz]

24. I know that. But a large older turnout, all other things the same, is bad for Democratic candidates.

Which is what I posted in my first post.

[Thinkingabout]

35. Republicans vote in larger percentages, Democrats have been turning

Out in smaller percentages. Large turnouts such as happened in 2008 and 2012 benefitted Democrats, in 2010 and 2014 Democrats lost seats in congress. Why do you think the Republicans are trying so hard to suppress voting? They know low voter turnout benefits Democrats. Do we really think Democratic ideas is going to get passed without having super majority?

[treestar]

34. +1

I voted when I was young, cannot imagine not voting, but overall, the older people get off their asses and vote.

[Thinkingabout]

36. I was expected to vote in every election by my parents because

It is important, training by my parents I still hold dear today.

[DrDan]

38. I cannot imagine not voting as well - it surprises me that we seem to have quite a few here

who would rather not vote than vote for HRC should she win the nom.

Clueless.

[bkkyosemite]

15. I don't believe this bs...I believe in BS

[murielm99]

21. Older voters actually get out and vote.

Younger voters, not so much.

[JonLeibowitz]

25. Without those younger voters (<44) we would have President Romney right now.

From my generation to yours, you are very welcome.

[ChiciB1]

28. I'm A Senior, My Husband Is, My Friends Are AND My Bernie Group

is made up of seniors. How "senior" are you talking here? I'm a Boomer and over sixty, I DO think they call us seniors!

WE DO SUPPORT BERNIE, more than any candidate we've seen in more years than we like to admit! WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK!

PLUS, we CAN remember when this country used to care about what "we the people" want and stand for!

All these polls and talking heads crap is simple that... CRAP! It's too early to KNOW anything yet!

WHY keep posting poll after poll now? Not ONE vote has been cast, but somehow polls right now tell the truth, the whole truth and NOTHING but the truth! Not buying any of it so far.

There's so much at stake and as each day goes by it's become VERY, VERY clear that THIS Democratic Party really doesn't want what "we the people" want! How much crap are they willing to throw at us without so many of us feeling the NEED to FIGHT LIKE HELL and NOT be rolled once again!

I'M sick of this, it's criminal at the very least... and I'm thinking TPTB is mounting WAR against us. It's becoming so very clear as each day goes by.

[AZ Progressive]

29. Seniors are more likely to be beneficiaries of the establishment and afraid of socialism

compared to the younger people of course.

[flor-de-jasmim]

30. And many of us are also smart enough to know the difference...

Between "socialism for the wealthy", which is what we have in tax breaks for the wealthy, the capoed soc security tax, corporations paying zero percent taxes, subsidies to oil companies, etc., and "socialism" for ALL (infrastructure).

Remember, too, that the baby boomers are the first generation with widespread access to higher education. While that is no guarantee of intelligence or good will towards fellow humans, it may mean a shift leftwards with this group reaching "seniorhood". Let"s see.

[Eric J in MN]

31. I wish someone would ask Hillary Clinton her position on Chained-CPI

...to calculate Social Security benefits.

If she says she's for it, that will diminish her support, especially among seniors.

[Historic NY]

33. here

https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/social-security-and-medicare/

[Eric J in MN]

47. Thanks. I wish the page used the term "Chained CPI."

Hopefully, the line, "Oppose reducing annual cost-of-living adjustments" means she's against Chained CPI.

Bernie Sanders' is clear in his opposition to Chained CPI:
"Chained CPI: An economic, moral disaster
By Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)"
http://thehill.com/special-reports/state-of-the-union-february-2013/282395-chained-cpi-an-economic-moral-disaster

[Nay]

32. Mr Nay and I are seniors and we have a Bernie sign planted in our

front yard. I go the the gym in the morning and I'm sure not the only Bernie supporter among the seniors -- there are quite a few. Mr Nay's good friend, a long-time Republican, is voting for Bernie. And we live in a red area of a purple state.

I have no idea whether any of this will translate into votes for Bernie next November, but he's got some clout around here.

[ReasonableToo]

41. My guess: seniors are less likely to seek independent media

Some seniors I know are not on computers. If most take in Mainstream media only that would explain it.

[LibDemAlways]

52. This. ^^^^^^

When I told my 92-year-old mother I was supporting Bernie, she tod me she had never heard of him. She gets her "news" from the LA Times and the networks. I suspect there are many more like her out there.

[Cha]

42. Good.. they know better

[hobbit709]

43. This senior is voting for Bernie.

[stevenleser]

50. I'm surprised by how many DUers cant tell the difference between 64% and 100%.

Or think that their posting "Oh but I am a senior and I am voting Bernie" means anything at all when confronted with a properly conducted poll of their age group.

[hobbit709]

55. It means I'm in the other 36% and all the seniors I know are in that group.

It also means no one I know was polled.

You can twist that any way you want. I don't really give a fuck.

[NCTraveler]

44. Those who know him best. Nt

[bklyncowgirl]

45. I'm guessing it's the "Socialist" thing. A big negative for folks who lived through the Cold War.

Among most people I grew up with and the generation before mine, there's a reflexive distaste for socialism. It is equated with communism which is equated with a terrible economic system and a complete lack of freedom. You may say these people were brainwashed and to some extent that is true but it does not erase the negative.

Another thing may be a sort of reverse ageism. Older people, feeling their own infirmities may legitimately wonder whether a 74 year old could hold up under the stress of the office. Of course Clinton isn't all that much younger.

The best thing Bernie can do to win these voters is to address their concerns, explain again and again what socialism means to him and without making a fool of himself show that he is the healthiest older guy in America--oh and win some more of those head to head polls against the Republicans.

[nc4bo]

46. Senator Obama wasn't doing all that hot either. Perhaps abysmally bad is fairly accurate?

http://www.gallup.com/poll/103477/Clinton-Excels-Among-Seniors-LowIncome-Democrats.aspx?g_source=position5&g_medium=related&g_campaign=tiles

Clinton's strongest leads for the nomination are among seniors, women, lower- and middle-income as well as lower-educated Democrats, Easterners (the East being Clinton's current region as U.S. senator from New York), and Southerners (the South being her former region as first lady of Arkansas). Clinton's advantage over Obama among these groups ranges from 22 to 35 points. Clinton also enjoys solid leads among non-Hispanic whites, blacks, Westerners, and pre-seniors (aged 50 to 64).

The Age and Gender Divide

The influence of gender and age in voter preferences between the two leading Democratic candidates -- with Clinton most popular among women and seniors -- is evident when looking at the four major age/gender categories of voters. Clinton has a 30-point lead over Obama among women aged 50 and older, but trails Obama by two percentage points (not a statistically significant margin) among men aged 18 to 49. This is one of the few subgroups among whom Obama comes close to leading Clinton.

Age appears to prevail over gender when it comes to the other two age/gender groups: Clinton has a 21-point lead among older men, compared with a 14-point lead among younger women.

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[LWolf]

48. My 77 yo mom

and all her senior friends must be outliers.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

49. I'll be 72 next November and I don't support Clinton.

Neither does my 75 year old wife.

[Atman]

51. A lot of seniors know how much it hurts just to get out of bed in the morning.

Seriously. Bernie is not a young man, and the presidency is an exhausting job. My grandfather died at 94, yet was a very energetic old man, still into carpentry (he even built his own 34' cabin cruiser from scratch, all by himself). Yet he freely admitted that he didn't want an "old" president, just because he knew of the rigors of just getting dressed every day.

I'm obviously not saying this is correct for all people. I'm just pointing out that there may be some validity in the OP, but for reasons that aren't really spelled out, and reasons that many seniors might not want to admit.

[CorporatistNation]

57. Hillary Is NOT A Young Woman... Facts Are...

Chronological age is one measure and then there is PHYSIOLOGIC Age. Hillary is overweight, I am guessing that she may have some Diabetes... Seen those ankles lately? Perhaps a little Heart Failure... Bernie is much more fit... not quite athletic, but certainly more fit than Hillary... Maybe we need a little health history comparison, Body Mass Comparison... Then we'll talk about age! Bernie seems quite a bit more VIGOROUS than Hillary... She seems worn out just by standing and blowharding while Bernie takes it all in stride.

[Karma13612]

53. Well he has my vote. I will be 62 by the time the NY state primary

happens, and I am voting for Bernie.

Hopefully twice.

Hillary may be getting the vote for older americans with just landlines.

I never get polled. Hubbie and I have cell phones and he is 68.

We have a cable-based landline that we never even use.

So, the pollsters don't know we even exist.

But Bernie's campaign does.

And oddly enuf, so does the Clinton campaign yet I have not sent her any money. How the heck did she get my email anyway?? Maybe Kroll with have something to share after their investigation is finished.

[SheilaT]

54. Checking in here with another unscientific poll on one.

I'm a senior and I'm voting for Bernie.

[Hiraeth]

58. How old does one have to be to be considered as a senior? Thanks in advance for whomever answers.

[Pastiche423]

59. Another senior supporting Bernie

As well as my circle of friends. All 12 of us are supporting Bernie.

That's the 1st time our group has all supported the same candidate in the over ten years we've been together.

[DavidDvorkin]

60. I'm 72 and I support O'Malley, but that doesn't make the poll wrong or right.

Last edited Fri Dec 25, 2015, 04:30 PM - Edit history (1)

[cwydro]

61. There's a guy lives in my mom's building with a Bernie sticker on his car.

He's about 60 I would say.

[karynnj]

62. Last June, the former head of the Vt AARP spoke

At a Burlington synagogue about elders issues. Because Bernie had recently announced he was asked about Bernie.

His response was that could be the big surprise of the campaign. Bernie is very very popular with Vermont seniors. He noted that Bernie evokes some of the ideas they associate with FDR. (A person in Burlington who knew him well was very unhappy when he spoke of Denmark rather than pointing to FDR.)

The real question might be if he can be heard by elders before he is labeled by both Clinton and the GOP as too socialist.

[CTyankee]

63. You know, the bottom line is still a Dem winning the White House in 2016...

I like and support Bernie. I would like to see him as President. But if it doesn't work out for him I am not going to sit and sulk since I find that childish. I'll do my best to get the Dem elected and if that means Hillary, well, so be it.

[comradebillyboy]

65. Us old farts with land lines vote in great numbers unlike

certain other demographic groups.

[Vinca]

67. As an older person who supports Sanders, this puzzles me.

Especially since Bernie wants to increase Social Security benefits beyond Fancy Feast level. All I can figure is people aren't paying attention. One example: a person I know who is alternately a Republican or an Independent depending on news stories, made a remark about the Bernie sticker on my car and asked if I knew Hitler was a socialist. After the appropriate eye roll, I reminded him - a veteran - that Bernie had done more for veterans than anyone else in Congress and he should investigate Democratic Socialism. It makes you want to knock your head against a brick wall.

[artislife]

70. When are you going to write an OP on the wonders of hillary?

I can't wait to read that one

[bluedigger]

71. So why is Hillary losing the youth vote?

Are her policies not what they want?