The 2008 AARP Voter’s Guide

By Richard Shank

The AARP recently asked the Presidential candidates for their views on key issues for older Americans, including Social Security, retirement security, affordable health care, and long-term care. Each candidate was able to answer each question in 125 words or less, and each response was unedited for publication in the AARP’s online Voter Guide.

The candidates were also asked to check whether they supported or opposed key legislative issues. In the Guide, The AARP summarized their own position alongside that of the candidates on these issues.

The first set of questions related to the candidates’ priorities and plans for overcoming partisanship. Republican Elephant

John McCain suggested that his highest priorities would be “reforming our nation’s failing institutions and assuring American prosperity.” He said that the essential elements of this agenda would be “supporting the housing market, reforming health care, addressing needed reform to our entitlement programs, and enacting needed reforms to ensure we can fund our priorities…” He went on to decry the partisan nature of Washington and suggested his career was filled with bipartisan attempts at “problem solving.”

Barack Obama said his “top domestic priority will be reforming the health care system to ensure all Americans have affordable, quality health coverage; enacting a bold climate change and energy-independence agenda that creates 5 million new green jobs; and ensuring the long-term growth of our economy.” He criticized special interest politics that gave powerful groups an inside edge in policy reform, claiming that this system has failed the American people. He said his goal was to build consensus for his proposals by engaging more directly with the American people on these issues.

The second set of questions for the candidates regarded Social Security.

John McCain answered briefly: “The only way we can ensure benefits for future generations is to put Social Security on a sound financial footing. As President, I will work with Congress on a bipartisan basis to make the hard choices to assure the solvency of Social Security and to protect the retirement security of the American worker.” Democratic Donkey

Barack Obama said he is “committed to ensuring that Social Security is solvent and viable for the American people.” He said he will be honest with the American people about the program and upfront about possible remedies. Obama adds, “I will protect Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries, oppose efforts to raise the retirement age, and stand firmly against privatization." He then offered a specific possible remedy of Social Security’s budget problem, which was to reevaluate the $102,000 tax ceiling for Social Security.

The third set of questions referenced the enhancement of retirement security.

John McCain said, “Automatic payroll deductions for employee IRAs have proven to be an effective approach to encouraging and helping workers save for retirement, and I support them.” He stressed the importance of dividend and capital gains income for older adults and suggested he will keep the capital gains tax low. Finally, he emphasized personal accounts for young workers.

Barack Obama replied, “I will strengthen the retirement security of American workers. Currently, 75 million working Americans lack employer-based retirement plans. My retirement security plan will automatically enroll workers in a workplace pension plan.” He added that employers who do not currently offer a retirement plan will be required to enroll their employees into a direct-deposit IRA account compatible with their current direct-deposit payroll system. Employees can opt out if they choose. Finally, he said he would extend the Savers Credit to match 50% of the first $1000 of savings for families that earn under $75,000 a year.

For the answers to the final series of questions, please see the AARP’s Voters Guide at: http://www.aarp.org.

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