The Washington Post is reporting that Obama plans to introduce cuts to Medicare. As somebody living let me be blunt: if Obama does this all many seniors are going to see is the scary black man trying to take their health care away. Remember what happened when Obama tried to reform private medicare insurance, remember death panels, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I hate to be the one here relaying the racist viewpoint. Let us be completely honest, racism is part of our current political climate. If an African American president suggests any cuts to the benefits received by White retirees, he will loose their vote en mass. No amount of waiting for the republicans to go first will inoculate him to this. All they will see is the scary African American who is out to take things from them.
The only possible response is for Obama to lay down the law and state clearly that until our economy is on a firmer footing, now is not the time for entitlement reform. The Republican party knows this, which is why they have been insisting that Obama go first in any budget negotiations.
While I hate to say this, if Obama does this we MUST primary him. This is not because of disapproval of his actions, or agreement with any racist sentiment. The simple fact is that Obama will be among the political walking dead. If he touches entitlements he becomes unelectable NO MATTER WHO THE REPUBLICANS CHOOSE. If Obama wants to give us President Sarah Palin, this is just the way to do it.
I would urge the Obama administration to poll HEAVILY among retirees before the they take this step, and to also poll the results of it on Democrat congressional races.