The President’s NC Visit
Unfortunately I am going to have to go pick my daughter up in about ten minutes so I will not be able to write on the President’s stop in NC until later today. The most important point he has made in the first part of his presentation has to do with the politics of Social Security, rather than the reform plan itself. He said that SS has been known as the third rail of politics, but that it is no longer true because he has run on the issue twice now. He didn’t mention it, but if I am not mistaken, Elizabeth Dole also used the issue in her campaign and she won by a sizeable margin.
I hope that those politicians that are sitting on the fence, afraid to address the issue for fear of voter reaction, are listening closely. I predict that before long, due to the popularity of SS reform among younger generations, that it will be more dangerous politically to vote against SS reform than to vote for it.
President Bush is now speaking to the crowd warning them to beware of the scare tactics in ads warning that if Social Security reform is attempted that they won’t get their checks. He is spending a lot of time addressing the politics – very smart.
I have to run and he has not taken a question yet. I will update this evening.
-- Lorie Byrd