Will history repeat itself?
It's no secret that republicans are philosophically opposed to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Food Stamps. Having to lie and obfuscate about their true beliefs speaks volumes. Of course their "plan to save" these programs is anything but - only absolute fools believe that crap. "Reforming" these programs has absolutely NOTHING to do with saving money; rather it's their backdoor attempt to kills these programs - piecemeal. The challenge they face today is the same challenge republicans for the last 80 years, in the case of Social Security, have faced - 85% of the American public EMBRACE these programs and want to keep them. Perhaps Team Rolls-Royce will have to relearn that lesson as Barry Goldwater did 48 years ago:
http://www.laprogressive.com/rick-perry-social-security/
"Goldwaters opposition to the New Deal and his criticism of its centerpiece program of old age insurance marked his rise as a leading conservative Republican. His first public political statement was an open letter to President Franklin Roosevelt decrying New Deal economic policies. As a young Republican senator in the 1950s, Goldwater criticized Republican President Dwight Eisenhower for failing to dismantle the welfare state. In his 1960 political treatise The Conscience of a Conservative, Goldwater referred to the New Deal as Socialism-through-Welfarism and called for its repeal, including its social welfare programs.
But Goldwaters opposition to Social Security was a major liability during his 1964 presidential campaign.
In his first trip to New Hampshire as a presidential candidate, Goldwater told a group of reporters that he thought Social Security should be made voluntary. Seeing blood in the water, his Republican challengers and the news media attacked, accusing him of trying to bankrupt the program and deprive retirees of their benefits. Sensing how damaging his statement had been, Goldwater tried to steer clear of the issue and even went out his way to remind people that as a senator he had voted to increase Social Security benefits.
Thanks to a vibrant grass roots campaign among conservatives, Goldwater was able to capture the partys presidential nomination, but his disparaging remarks about Social Security stuck and hurt his chances in the general election.