Even with Dyed Hair, “Grey Power” Has Taken Root
“Old” is not just an age anymore. It’s a demographic that is steadily increasing. And during an election year, a larger percentage of voters in that category show up at the polls — or, more likely, send in an absentee ballot — than any other age group.
Still, there’s a lot more buzz generated at election time to influence younger voters and/or appeal to specific middle-aged demographics like “soccer moms “ than there is for courting the elderly. The term “grey power” may not be used anymore, but even with dyed hair, its roots are firmly implanted in the political process. We know, for example, that proposed laws affecting social entitlements are of great importance to seniors. Nevertheless, when one thinks of “energizing” voters, the verb is rarely applied to those in their declining years.
The failure of political parties to more aggressively woo older people (say, ages 66 to 83 who represent 17% of voters) may be influenced by certain misconceptions. Seniors are often regarded as “selfish” or “single issue” voters, concerned primarily with the continuation of their own Medicare and Social Security. A distinctive thrust of this administration’s Affordable Care Act was that it would be to younger Americans what Medicare is to older ones. It would level the playing field of the ailing.
The so-called “class warfare” between rich and poor in America has been paralleled, to some extent, by another battle between old and young, with a subtle underpinning of envy. Younger voters sometimes perceive seniors as being accorded preferential, hence unfair, treatment by the government in the matter of health care costs. Many Americans mistakenly assume, for example, that such coverage is entirely “free.”
Aside from that — if there is an aside — the elderly are generally considered a “conservative” element, by and large resisting change, even if at one time in their bygone lives they may have embraced it to the extreme. In the eyes of many younger people, seniors cling to their prejudices the way they hold on to their old, chipped china. Some also think of seniors regardless of their political persuasion and despite their reliable voting record, as largely disinterested in — maybe even weary of — politics, thus not a formidable factor in shaping election outcomes. I have a friend who has worked in campaigns for a lifetime. Now she finds herself marginalized by younger volunteers with far more computer savvy. She has a wealth of experience that they rarely tap. Still, she hangs in, while they hang out.
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