Recent polls indicate that two groups thought to be more likely to have majority support for Mitt Romney are instead switching to support of President Obama for the Presidential election in five weeks.
These are senior citizens and veterans, both of whom were seen as being considered part of the “47 percent” comments by Romney at a Boca Raton mansion last May, disparaging those who do not pay federal income taxes, although they pay lots of other taxes.
Usually, it has been thought that senior citizens were more likely to vote Republican, but the fear about changes in Medicare, represented by the plans of Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan, is steering older retired people to vote Democratic, even though the statements of Romney and Ryan are that only people under 55 and not yet on Medicare would be affected by the proposed voucher system. There is a growing feeling that one cannot trust Romney and Ryan on such an important issue.
Veterans often vote Republican, but the Obama record on veterans’ issues is drawing many former military people, as well as serving troops, to support of the Commander in Chief. And the fact that Romney evaded the Vietnam War draft as a Mormon missionary in the late 1960s, and that none of his sons have served in the military, work against veteran support of Romney.
This election could be path breaking in many ways, as far as majority voter support among groups thought to be more likely to vote Republican, but now seen as likely to support Barack Obama. It will be fascinating to see what transpires!