Senior citizens realigning with the GOP?

[mystery-ak]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/201765-senior-citizens-have-realigned-with-the-gop

March 26, 2014, 07:46 am
Senior citizens realigning with the GOP?

By Rebecca Shabad

Senior citizens in the United States have realigned themselves with the Republican Party over the last 20 years, according to a new survey.

A Gallup poll released Wednesday indicates seniors—people 65 and older—have become less Democratic and more Republican, especially since 2010.

In 2013, 48 percent of seniors identified as or leaned Republican, compared to 45 percent who identified as or leaned Democratic.

More than half of seniors in 1992 identified as Democrats, or said they were independents and leaned Democratic.

By contrast, people who are younger than seniors, aged 18 to 64, have become more Democratic since 1992. That year, they had a 1-percentage-point advantage over Republicans. Last year, they had an 8-percentage-point advantage.

Seniors today were aged 45 to 79 in the early 1990s, Gallup notes. That group 20 years ago was actually highly Democratic, with a 12-percentage-point Democratic advantage.

One reason why seniors have become more Republican is 85 percent of them are non-Hispanic whites, the poll found.

A separate Gallup poll from Monday suggested whites have become more solidly Republican.

A majority of whites over the age of 29 identified as Republican or leaned Republican in Gallup polls last year. Only the 18 to 29 age demographic was slightly more Democratic, among whites.

[rustynail]

What do they want now that the damage is done?

[DCPatriot]

Well......on one hand, there is a never-ending supply.       

[jmyrlefuller]

On one hand, if you want the fastest growing demographic in America, you've got it.

On the other, 1) haven't seniors typically favored the GOP anyway?, 2) what good is it if most of them are still hooked on government benefits?, and 3) semi-related to 2, how long before the Democrats start the killing-off Grandma stuff again?

[speekinout]

Surveys, studies, or even comments that talk about changes in the "senior" demographic are useless at best. People don't change their opinions based on their birthdays. Opinions have more to do with life experiences than anything. 10 years ago, the people who were seniors (roughly the people who were 65-85) had lived most of their young lives during the depression, and many loved FDR for his help for people with all of his Fed'l programs, particularly SS. They were conditioned from a young age to look to the gov't for help.
Today's seniors lived most of their young lives in the boom after WWII, and they liked earning their own living, getting education, and had a lot of respect for the military.
They're entirely different people.

You can't project people's opinions by age alone. That goes for all age groups, not just seniors. It's life experiences that matter most.