SS Privatization: A Big Loser?

[OnBackground]

Whenever really skilled political operatives take on issues that seem like sure fire losers, smart analysts take a second look and wonder what the operative might know or hypothesize that the rest of us don’t.

Social Security privatization is one of those beasts. Based on an admittedly limited knowledge of how folks feel about this issue and how they’re likely to react to any changes, it seems unlikely that this will be a plus for Republicans politically, except perhaps in terms of fundraising from the business community (leaving aside for a minute the arguments we could get into about whether privatization is a good idea). But they are still charging ahead. Does Karl Rove know something we don’t?

Maybe this really is a potentially huge hit for the Republicans, as Noam Scheiber suggests: "Social Security privatization is a bigger political loser for Republicans than even Democrats think." It would be nice to be right on this one. Josh Marshall is tracking individual Members pretty closely on how they feel about this issue and the responses they are getting from constituents.

[stray cat]

1. It would be a huge win for republicans to virtually abolish S.S.

They also think if people had S.S. money in stocks they would be more pro-business and more likely to vote republican. Rove sees it as part of his plan to make the republican party dominant from here on out by making more people think they are republicans by "owning stocks"

[papau]

2. IF won - the result is a major attitude change on role of government

This is a roll of the dice for everything that is on the table.

There is no economic "win" - just political and social.

Economically it will even cause dollar loses for the winners over their lifetime.

But in terms of Ayn Rand - you owe nobody nothing - GOPers - this is huge.

Funny how they use the Christian folks - the take care of the least among you folks - as the wedge by selling them on the idea that this cuts back on the interference in their lives by government - and keeps elitist intellectuals out of their face.

Indeed if all did tithe, the Church would have funds to pick up the slack - and government institutions would not be needed. But folks into you owe nobody nothing (please forgive the double negative) are not about to give the the Church $5 million a year from the $50 million a year they earn.