Pre-Boomer Musings

The campaigning is over, I thought it would never end, and the votes have been counted.  Most people are going to wait and see how those elected will perform before thinking about the next big election in 2012.  But waiting for the politicians to act is not enough.  It is up to the electorate to keep the pressure on them to deliver on their pre-election promises.  The question is how do we best accomplish this?

Let me relate a little story to demonstrate how things might go.  On election eve, I bumped into a fellow I’ve known for nearly 30 years.  We happened to be in a restaurant and ended up eating together.  He and I are on opposite sides politically and both of us knew it; therefore, we always avoided discussing politics.  But with the elections the next day, it wasn’t long before that tabooed subject came up.  Since we live in Southern California, the discussion began with ballot propositions and escalated into a rather passionate debate about issues and political philosophies.  It could have turned ugly.

However, as New Seniors, born between 1930 and 1945; we concluded, aside from party affiliation, there was much we had in common.  For instance, Medicare benefits are of mutual concern.  Social Security, coupled with the cost of living, is also a shared worry.  We fear the tax increases looming on the horizon.  Both of us want to be sure the country is protected.  What we leave to future generations is also something we agreed on, although differ on the agenda for this.  Overall, this is not a bad start.

My friend had the feeling there wasn’t much that could be done because there would be a split Congress, which is the way the election turned out, and the President would use his veto pen to defeat new or revised legislation.  I, however, pointed out that Americans want elected representatives who listen to them because those who ignore the will of the people will be replaced through the election process. 

To get the politicians’ attention and cause them to act, a significant number of the constituents must voice their opinions in a clear and common sense manner, as many did to protest the health care legislation.  Washington didn’t pay attention the first time around, but the election results suggest the elected representatives will the next time there is a disconnect between the people and the politicians.  Although this gentleman and I have different views about health care, he could not ignore the fact that the people have made their opinions known and will continue to do so.

The last thing we talked about was the power of the New Seniors vote.  I pointed out that those 65+, while only 12.5% of the voting population, accounted for more than twice this percentage when it came to the number of ballots cast.  This impressed him and may have been the reason why he may help in the effort to get New Seniors to connect, share their thinking and ultimately take positive action on issues affecting the growing 65+ population.  And, with the boomers starting to turn 65 next year, they will bring a heightened level of enthusiasm to our already solid numbers.  After all, making the New Seniors’ presence felt is something we can all agree on.     

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