Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Worried Florida Seniors Waver on McCain

Key voting bloc, once reliably red, could sink GOP in state

By Gabriel Winant, Newser User

Posted Oct 15, 2008 8:13 AM CDT

(Newser) – Florida's seniors aren’t looking like such a sure thing for John McCain, the Washington Post reports, casting a big shadow for the GOP over the Sunshine State. Blocks of retirees once solidly behind the GOP are now wavering, fraught with worry about disappearing pensions and climbing health care prices. “Who isn't afraid of getting a 'Dear John' letter from GM saying your pension is in danger?” asks one senior.

Because of Barack Obama’s expected strength among new registrants and young voters, McCain can’t just match previous Republican performance with older voters—he has to exceed it. And even some McCain supporters among Florida's oldsters seem to have given up on him. Says one, “I'm for these guys, but I don't think they'll win.”

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (2)]

John McCain greets an elderly man that was seated on the stage behind him, Friday, July 25, 2008, during a campaign stop at the American GI Forum Convention in Denver. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

John McCain meets with elderly survivors of Hurricane Katrina, Thursday, April 24, 2008, during a tour of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward during his "It's Time for Action" campaign tour. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Marcelle Uptain chats with her friend Sanford Perry at the Milton Senior Center in Milton, Fla. on Monday, Oct. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Mari Darr-Welch)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

McCain turns me off. I can't explain it. - Ed Bearer, retired teacher

Our debt is in the trillions . Is this a nice legacy for our kids? We're worried about our granddaughter, the kind of medical care she'll have. Will there be a Social Security for her? Will there be pensions? - Jerry Decker, 73

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

In Fla., Obama Lays Into 'Panicked' Mac

Dem touts focus on 'Main Street,' targets state's women, retirees

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama criticized the administration’s response to the plight of working families today, while calling for steps to regulate large financial institutions, CNN reports. “We cannot only have a plan for Wall Street,” he said. “We must also help Main Street as well.” The Democrat used the rally outside Miami to pitch himself to women and retirees in the battleground state. More»

South the Big Winner in New Census

Northeast, Midwest would lose seats if today's census was used

(NEWSER) - The South is gaining population and power at the expense of the Northeast and Midwest, according to Census Bureau estimates released yesterday. If House seats were distributed based on the estimates, which are believed to be a strong predictor of the 2010 census results, Texas would be the big winner, gaining three seats, with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington each adding one. More»

Campaigns Make Florida Election-Eve Battleground

Obama reprises out-of-touch criticism of McCain, who hits back on economics

(NEWSER) - Both presidential candidates were on the trail today in Florida, trading jabs from opposite ends of the state, the Miami Herald reports. Barack Obama spoke about the economy in Jacksonville, in the north, the same city where John McCain said the “fundamentals of the economy are strong.” McCain dismissed his poor poll numbers in Tampa, saying, “we never give up, we never quit.” More»

Hints at Winner May Come Early Tomorrow Night

Victory, or close loss, in Indiana would bode well for Obama

(NEWSER) - What happens early tomorrow night may hint at the final outcome, John Whitesides notes for Reuters. A victory, or close loss, in Indiana—where polls close at 6pm EST and which has gone Republican in every presidential race since 1964—would presage good things for Barack Obama; if John McCain wins by more than 4%, the wait-and-see game starts. More»

Undecided Voters Agree: Choosing Is Tough

Undecideds waiting for candidates to provide tell-tale slip-up

(NEWSER) - Undecided voters want one thing from John McCain and Barack Obama: a reason to vote for one of them—or not. “I’m waiting for one of them to shoot himself in the leg,” one torn Floridian tells the LA Times. "I just don't trust politicians," says an Ohio auto worker. The 11th-hour deciders last made a difference in 1960, but they could prove vital once again. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Worried Florida Seniors Waver on McCain