Does the Tea Party care what happens to young people long term?
I think they don't. I don't believe that the Tea Party as an entity cares one bit about what the country will look like for those of us in our 20s and 30s when we're in our 50s and 60s. You want proof, right? Okay. Let's look at the facts.
The Huffington Post has an article up here that suggests that the Tea Party is disproportionately elderly. The relevant section says this.
the demographics of the movement seemingly align with those who traditionally vote for the conservative candidate as well. Fifty-six percent of Tea Party respondents are male; 22 percent are over the age of 65 (compared with just 14 percent who are between the ages of 18 and 34)Compare that to 12% (as of 2004) and rising for the whole country. There's no doubt that the Tea Party is more elderly than the country on average. The Huffington Post article also notes that 14% of the Tea Party is 18-34. Compare that to roughly the same number for all Americans who are in that same age bracket. So that's the Tea Party. But what about their candidates and positions. Do they espouse positions that benefit older Americans at the expense of those of us who've lived less? Check out what Rand Paul, Tea Party candidate for Senate in Kentucky has to say. That's from the conservative Washington Post. Rand Paul wants to raise the retirement age for "younger workers" (he's not specific on who that is) in order to pay for things like an extension of the Bush tax cuts on those making $250,000 or more per year. And we all know that those of us in the 18-34 bracket are much less likely to be in that group. That's how the corporate ladder works. You hit the jackpot once you've been on the job for a long time and proved your worth. And it probably should work that way. But, the point here is that we're not getting bonuses now for a raised retirement age. We're getting screwed in order to pay for bonuses for old corporate VPs like the guys at Goldman Sachs. To be fair, that WaPo article suggests that the Democratic nominee in Kentucky also wants to extend all the tax cuts. Good job there Mr. Conway.
Then there's Sharron Angle. Check out how she feels about Healthcare Reform. Just the other week on September 23rd it banned denying children coverage because of pre-existing conditions. This bill is good for young people. It's good for young people because the jobs that we increasingly hold, hourly jobs with no benefits, allow us to stay on our parents healthcare until the age of 26. That also went into effect on the 23rd. And it creates a system where healthcare may just become affordable one day. Most older people have healthcare though their work. We aren't like that. Just check it out here. She says there is "nothing good in this law." Also, for nerds out there like me, they set that ad to the theme music for Battlestar Galactica. Win.
Those are just two of a litany of examples, but I think my point is proven when I say that the Tea Party has no interest in protecting younger people in America. Vote at your own risk.
"It's good for young people because the jobs that we increasingly hold, hourly jobs with no benefits, allow us to stay on our parents healthcare until the age of 26."
ReplyDeleteReally? How is it good for me? I am under the age of 26, and neither of my parents hold jobs or have insurance. If your point is that the Tea Partiers care only for the rich rich, and the liberals and Democrats care only for the middle-cass, then you are spot on.
I'll stick with the Tea Party and the rightwingers thank you; at least they don't condescend to tell me they are the party for the poor and pat themselves on the back for creating a healthcare bill that will exclude me and my family.
Hell, you can have a Master's degree by 26. I think I'd drink a bottle of bleach if I needed to live off a parent's job at that age. I'm not looking for a political party that wants to protect me.
@taco I very nearly got sarcastic with you here. And I don't want that, so I'm going to try again.
ReplyDeleteIn a world where graduation from college or even high school ensured a job where you could take care of yourself that would be one thing. But following the path that we've been told to follow doesn't always result in that anymore. I don't have a job at all five months after college. Being able to stay on my parents plan is a god send.
If your parents don't have coverage it's not their fault. If this bill had been a public option or, god forbid, single payer you and your parents would have health insurance as well. That was stopped by the Tea Partiers and rightwingers you're planning on sticking with. Keep that in mind.
A point of reference here. The Washington Post is nominally liberal. By contrast, The Washington Times is quite conservative.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to be a stickler, but wanted to point something out to you. :)
@ Comrade Kevin
ReplyDeleteThanks for that. The Post is liberal compared to the Times for sure. It is however, not in the class of maybe the LA Times or the New York Times. At least in my mind. Still, that's Rand Paul's own words. You can find videos of that same discussion.