As I reported "earlier," seniors are becoming incresingly wary of Obamacare. AARP a well-known liberal organization has "paying the price" for Obamacare:
CBS News reports that the AARP’s dance with ObamaCare has produced real results for the senior advocacy group — really bad results. Over 60,000 members have left the AARP, angered by the group’s support for Barack Obama’s health-care reform efforts and silence on cuts to Medicare that will pay for them. Many have joined a new group with a more conservative outlook on health-care reform.
While the AARP has benn careful not to endorse Obama's plan, they haven't come close to being too critical of it either. Many seniors worry about the cuts to Medicare and the cost of the program on their grandkids. Those that are fleeing don't feel like the organization that has been around since the late 50's is accurately representing them anymore.
The American Seniors Association, the "conservative alternative" to the AARP for seniors is reaping the benefits. It'll be good to give seniors an alternative to the increasingly liberal AARP.
Interesting blog. I recently tore up my AARP card mainly because this organization ignores my generation: Generation Jones (born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and Generation X). In everything I read and see from AARP, it lumps people my age in with the Baby Boomers, and ignores the fact that GenJonesers have different goals, attitudes, life experiences, life cycle issues, and needs than Boomers. I’m hoping ASA is not behind the curve on this like AARP, and recognizes GenJones and its interests.
ReplyDeleteAARP’s omission is that more incomprehensible given the fact that GenJones is getting so much media attention, with many top commentators from many top publications and networks (Washington Post, Time magazine, NBC, Newsweek, ABC, etc.) now specifically use this term. In fact, the Associated Press' annual Trend Report forecast the Rise of Generation Jones as the #1 trend of 2009. Here's a page with a good overview of recent media interest in GenJones: http://generationjones.com/2009latest.html
It is important to distinguish between the post-WWII demographic boom in births vs. the cultural generations born during that era. Generations are a function of the common formative experiences of its members, not the fertility rates of its parents. Many experts now believe it breaks down more or less this way:
DEMOGRAPHIC boom in babies: 1946-1964
Baby Boom GENERATION: 1942-1953
Generation Jones: 1954-1965
Here is an op-ed in USA TODAY which underlines the important new role of GenJones:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090127/column27_st.art.htm