Counterintuitive?

Josh Kraushaar writes (“Gallup: Seniors Most Favorable To Ryan Budget”)

A new Gallup/USA Today poll contains a counterintuitive finding: the age group most receptive to House Budget Chair Paul Ryan's plan to deal with the budget - seniors.

The poll finds 48 percent of seniors (those 65 and over) support Ryan's plan over President Obama's plan, while 42 percent back the president.

That's the highest total among the age groups tested - a 47 percent plurality between the ages of 50 and 64 backed Ryan, and a 45 percent plurality of those between 30-49 backed Ryan. But young voters overwhelmingly sided with Obama by a 23-point margin, 53 to 30 percent.

I do not think that the results are counterintuitive.  President Obama’s health care reform takes $57.5 per year over the next decade from Medicare to fund an expansion of Medicaid, harming those who are Seniors now and those who will soon be seniors.  The Ryan plan would maintain Medicare at current inflation adjusted levels for anyone currently under 55. 

Seniors are supporting their interests and there is nothing counterintuitive in that (See Betsy McCaughy, “Medicare As We've Known It Isn't an Option” for a good comparison of the impact of President Obama’s health care reform and Representative Ryan’s proposed changes).   Permanent Link