John McCain has has come out in favor of Social Security Privatization, or as he calls it, personalization (sound familiar?). From his website:
John McCain Will Reform Social Security. He will fight to save the future of Social Security while meeting our obligations to the retirees of today and the future without raising taxes. John McCain supports supplementing the current Social Security system with personal accounts – but not as a substitute for addressing benefit promises that cannot be kept. He will reach across the aisle, but if the Democrats do not act, he will. John McCain will not leave office without fixing the problems that threatens our future prosperity.
Hear that? He will not leave office without implementing Bush's plan for Privatizing Social Security.
McCain's disrespect for Social Security is becoming more and more apparent. It is a huge winning issue for us - if we can get people talking about it.
First, start with some polling data. Draw your own conclusions, but it seems to me that while people are open to some of the ideas, whenever a plan is identified with Bush or Republican, its support goes in the tubes, with support often in the 20s or 30s (this was back when Bush's approval rating was still in the mid-to-high 40s, and Republicans were riding high after gains in 2004). The Democrats might be Nixon to Social Security's China, but the key is that People do not trust Republicans on Social Security.
Even much of their base gets nervous when Republicans start talking about changing up Social Security. And with good reason - it is the largest and most important government program, the center of the New Deal, the thing that ensures that the elderly are not left out to dry. Even all those Republicans who agree with a safety net but think the Dems have taken things too far, and Conservative Democrats who have various grievances with a candidate like Obama, can agree that Social Security oughn't be messed with.
This also cuts to the heart of the McSame line of attack. The Social Security episode of 2005 is forgotten precisely because Bush failed in such epic manner, but it is really what started his Presidency's tailspin. The question McCain must be asked is, What kind of maverick, what kind of "Different kind of Republican," supports gutting Social Security? Privatization is the centerpiece of the ultimate fantasy Republican agenda, and reminds people of all the reasons they distrust Republicans (everyone distrusts Republicans to some extent, considering that they are a subset of Politicians).
Along the same lines, it puts McCain on the defensive. This is exactly the type of attack that, if we can saturate the media with it for one or two days, it will stick, because what will McCain do? He can deny it, in which case he will look like an idiot since my source is his website, or he can defend it, in which case it is suddenly a big thing. And a huge victory for Democrats.
Which brings me to my final point: on Social Security, Democrats are strong, they stand together, they do not capitulate. This is what we need in the face of everything that has happened, an issue on which even PUMAs will break hugely for us (and remind them of why they are Democrats). This issue, to paraphrase Mark Warner, unites Democrats and divides Republicans. The netroots and the "working class white people" all stand as one on it. It is the issue that will cause some Republican Congressmen to hedge support of McCain, to hesitate to speak with him, have to publicly distance themselves from him.
And for good measure, the other McCain base, old people, all love Social Security and will not stand to see it gutted.
So, how do we make this an issue? Get the Obama campaign to talk loudly about it, since the media won't do it for us. It is something on which the campaign will be in its groove; it is something that you don't have to persuade other Dems to talk about; and it is something with a lot of heft among the types of voters that don't spend their time writing comments on Daily Kos. This is something my parents, even my grandparents, will take notice of, way more than whatever mini-controversy of the day the media normally reports, like what Wesley Clark said, or to what extent people can talk about McCain's age, or whatever else. This actually matters, matters a lot. Obama should deliver a speech about it, put out a statement, get surrogates to talk about it, or just generally raise the chatter level on it. Someone should bring it up on Meet the Press, and someone else on Hardball. Standard issue on Talking Points Memos (real life ones and the website). Use the media's love of "balance" against McCain: while they may never sniff this stuff out on their own, if Democrats talk about it then they are obliged to do so also, for since they must equally present both sides, that still means they must present our side. And if our side is "they're gutting Social Security" and their side is "No we're not" then the halfway point is a good one for us, and the media coverage will be favorable.