Will Republicans have to lighten up on social issues in order to succeed in 2012?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Each of the Republican contenders in last night's CNN presidential debate tried to set himself - or herself - apart from the other candidates, but their main message was more about beating President Obama in 2012 than each other.
With the president's approval ratings near all-time lows, our national debt sky-high and climbing, and unemployment above 9%, it would certainly seem it's the Republicans’ race to lose.
According to a CNN Opinion Research Corp. poll, nearly three-quarters of Republicans and Republican-leaning independent voters say they want a real contender who can defeat Obama in 2012, even if that nominee doesn't agree with them on every issue. More importantly, that's up 7 percentage points from January.
But for Republicans to keep conservatives happy, social issues - like abortion, gay marriage, "don't ask, don't tell" - still manage to work their way into the conversation. And that may prove to be a problem for Republicans once we head into the general election campaign.
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For example, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said on Sunday's "Meet the Press" that not only was he pro-life even in cases of rape and incest, he believes that doctors who perform abortions should face criminal charges. Santorum should save himself a lot of time and money and find something to do besides running for president.
On the subject of gay marriage, all the candidates except Herman Cain and Ron Paul said last night they'd support a constitutional amendment outlawing it. Several of them also said that if elected, they would go back to the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Note to the GOP: These are not the issues that middle America is worried about. They would like to be able to find a job.
Here’s my question to you: Will Republicans have to lighten up on social issues in order to succeed in 2012?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How has the economy affected your plans to retire?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The United States is actually in worse financial shape than Greece and other debt-laden European countries when you add in all of the money owed to cover future Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security obligations. That's what bond fund manager Bill Gross of Pimco told CNBC yesterday.
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But talk of reforming these so-called entitlement programs terrifies most Americans, especially after many saw their life savings evaporate during the Great Recession and the value of the home plummet.
According to a study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a whole lot of Americans have not saved enough for retirement and are going to have to rely largely on Social Security for their incomes as they age. The study also predicts that many Americans will have to work longer than planned - and many may end up working well into their 70s and 80s to afford retirement.
It's a depressing thought whether you're approaching retirement age or just planning to one day be able to afford it.
Americans are also living longer, and as a result the cost and quality of the health care available to them becomes more important. Seventy-two percent of non-retired Americans surveyed say the cost of health care will determine when they retire, according to the Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index.
We likely have seen the end of the gold watch, generous pension and company-provided health care for life that was a part of many of the previous generation's retirement. The golden years for many are shaping up to be more like brass.
Here’s my question to you: How has the economy affected your plans to retire?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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