Those boos during Paul Ryan’s AARP convention speech were music to my ears. They signaled not only that his Medicare killing plan won’t fly but also that American seniors are paying attention this election season.
According to the polls, the only demographic group where the Romney Ryan ticket is ahead is seniors. Among retirees, the Republicans had a 5-point lead over Obama-Biden the last time I checked. But I bet that won’t be for long.
And it’s not just the old folks that are catching on.
Perhaps because this has been such an outrageous campaign season, voters of all ages are paying more attention this time around than at any time since I came to America 33 years ago.
Normally apathetic voters also got a poke in the ribs from the do-nothing Congress. Republicans have relentlessly sabotaged President Obama’s policies so they could blame him for the resulting economic damage. And the strategy was too obvious to miss.
Apparently, Abe Lincoln was right when he observed, “‘You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”
It is becoming increasingly evident that the Republicans miscalculated when they figured American voters for a pack of dummies. Polls show the public blames Congress and George W. Bush far more than they blame President Obama for the country’s economic doldrums. Congress has an all-time low approval rating barely hovering above single digits.
And a secret videotape showing Mitt Romney baring his soul to a group of $50,000-a-plate Republican donors might have been a decisive wake-up call.
By dismissing half of the American population as a pack of parasites unworthy of his attention, Romney unmistakably revealed the Republicans’ true agenda. I don’t think anyone ever doubted that a Republican victory would have devastating consequences for the poor. And now, nobody in their right mind could believe the middle class would fare much better.
The result of the tape’s revelations has been disarray among Republicans. They are turning on each other, some blaming Romney for running a lousy campaign, others blaming the critics for attacking Romney. Meanwhile, the polls, which were excruciatingly close, are showing Obama pulling away down the backstretch.
Equally encouraging is the ripple effect being felt in House and Senate races. Apparently, voters realize it won’t do much good to keep Obama in the White House if they hobble him with a Republican controlled Congress.
Keep your fingers crossed. It looks as if America is dodging the bullet of a Republican election victory.
Click here for an update on the election.
Click here for Ryan at the AARP convention.
