Harris Campaign Attracts Seniors with Jefferson Starship, Swing Dancing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – From swing dancing to ice cream socials, Kamala Harris’ campaign will mark the 89th anniversary of Social Security with events aimed at older Americans, a demographic that typically leans Republican.

Activities across key states, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina, will feature performances by artists such as Cathy Richardson, lead singer of Jefferson Starship, along with those known for “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.”

Voters aged 65 and older have the highest voter turnout rates and constitute nearly 10 million voters in battleground states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada. They also make up almost 17% of the overall U.S. population.

Historically, senior voters supported Republican Donald Trump by a margin of 7 percentage points in 2016 and 5 points in 2020.

Harris, the Democratic Party’s official candidate as of last week, leads Trump by 4 percentage points in opinion polls of voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, according to a survey conducted by the New York Times and Siena College.

The same surveys indicate Harris holds a significant lead over Trump in head-to-head matchups among voters aged 65 and older in those states, with 55% to Trump’s 42%.

Following Biden, 81, stepping back due to concerns over his age, the Harris campaign implied Trump’s age, 78, could also be a factor.

“Trump is now the old guy in the race, 78 years old, and he’s got a few cognitive problems himself, so the shoe is completely flipped upside down here,” Howard Dean, former Democratic National Committee Chair, noted in a campaign distributed quote. Harris is 59.

Recently, Trump proposed eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors, a move that might boost his appeal among older voters. However, experts warn that such a policy could accelerate the insolvency risk of the Social Security plan.

Currently, about 40% of American Social Security recipients pay federal income tax, says the Social Security Administration.

Scrapping the tax could increase the budget deficit by $1.6 trillion to $1.8 trillion through 2035, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

The Harris campaign has yet to comment on Trump’s call to eliminate taxes on Social Security. They did highlight, however, Trump’s past calls to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Margaret Washa, a 76-year-old retired physical therapist from Middleton, Wisconsin, who frequently donates to Democratic candidates, expressed a growing momentum for Democrats after Biden stepped down.

“I would happily donate to a PAC called ‘Boomers for Kamala & Walz’,” she said.

Source: Reuters