A lot of people here on DK are middle aged and are painfully aware of how badly Romney’s “reforms” to Medicare could hurt them.
In many cases, these changes to Medicare will create “haves" and "have nots” in the same family. In my case, I would be left out in the cold, while my older sibling will have Medicare. My mother has generally voted Republican, but has been disgusted by her party for several years. Dad repeats whatever stupid thing he hears on Fox, but, thankfully, he does not vote.
I have on a number of occasions reminded Mom that the GOP plan to “reform” Medicare will leave me without health care. Even though I have the genetics to make it to the age of 90, I would expect that without medicare I’d be lucky to get past 75. I've explained that the idea that there will private insurance for people in their 70’s (all of whom have multiple preexisting conditions) is nothing but a fantasy.
I’ve also pointed at that the impact will not be visible for 10 years, but at that point, the life expectancy of Americans should plummet. We are already only 38th in the world for life expectancy, and changes to Medicare will make us the laughing stock of the world. Even Third World countries will regard us with horror.
I have also made this point to my children – any young person that votes for Romney is potentially condemning their parents to an early death. Without health insurance and Medicare, dear old dad just isn't going to be around the way Grandma and Grandpa are now. Nope dad is going to cash in his chips maybe 15 years earlier. And it will probably seem like blessing because Dad is likely to be half blind from untreated cataracts, maybe crippled from an arthritic knee he could not afford to be replaced, and probably be carrying around some melanoma or other cancer.
Romney's plan is a deadly blow to nearly every family, and this is a good weekend to remind your parents and children that the lives of their loved ones are at stake.