I can only guess based on the elders I know personally. They watch Fox. They watch a lot of TV and hence get a lot of ads. They don't like paying for anybody else's benefits because they feel they earned unemployment, their government pensions, their medicare, SS, but those 'others' they did not. They don't have an attitude that government is about us. To them it's about the 'others'. A lot of them even resent public education. I don't know if all elders who vote right are this way, just the ones I know-- online or off.

People vote for what they feel benefits them; and if they can't see we are all the 'other', I have found it very hard to convince them otherwise. The other thing with a lot of these elder righties is they often live and gather with people like themselves-- big communities where they are all the same and they reinforce each other. IF Obama cannot get out the youth vote, with all the ads that will be out there, talking like Cheney did most recently, he'll lose despite all the reasons that Romney is not going to help one single ordinary person in any age group. They buy into the ads. They believe Fox.

I might add, the young people I know best are very involved politically and liberals but not unthinking rather concerned for their kids' future-- but they are my family.

Many of us are afraid of what comes next as we age, are afraid of losing our autonomy, are afraid of changes in ourselves and the world that render old truths no longer applicable.

One of our political parties inflames fear; many of us identify with generalized fears, for numerous, often individual, sometimes rational, reasons. A democracy oscillates between hope and fear. A democratic polity in balance provides both. We don't have that at present.

Elders are unfortunately all too easy to herd to the fear side of things.

If we don't like that -- and I sure don't -- this is one more reason to struggle against agism. If being old didn't mean being treated like a dependent child, more of us could approach our inevitable end with more dignity and courage -- and would be less subject to the demagoguery of fear.

Changes such as hardening of the synapses. Combine this with fear and the fact that as we grow older we are often less out in the world.

Just muttering.

I have seen many older people that I am associated with become not only more and more conservative but also racist as they age and I am appalled when I listen to them. They too listen to fox. I am beginning to feel that I stick out like a sore thumb when I am with them.I have been friends with some of them since grade school so I knew them when. Now that they have theirs, the ones coming behind us can just do without. If I bring up the fact that most republican politicians want to eliminate Medicare and Social Security they all tell me that will never happen. Hello, time to get your head out of the sand. I truly believe that if we get a Republican President and republican house & senate, we can say goodbye to SS and Medicare as we know them. Sorry I rattled on. Don't even get me started on the war on women! I am surprised I have not stroked out by now.

I had to add another thought, that's gnawing at me.

I have observed something troubling over the past several years of working with people in extreme poverty, mostly homeless families, and seriously mentally ill individuals. The program with which I worked for almost a decade before leaving to become a fulltime caregiver for a family member, is affiliated with a church. The church happens to be Episcopalian, and is considered one of the more liberal and progressive in the community. I have worked closely enough with the pillars of that church, and heard comments from enough of the parishioners, to know that even among those who would self-report as liberal, that many harbor very conservative beliefs when it comes to people in poverty, and many tend to categorize them into the "deserving" and "undeserving". Many people seem to think that they can discern someone's true nature by their current state of affairs. I suspect that people in this camp, and it appears to me to be a very large camp, may present themselves one way in more public settings, but may express conflicting views in more private settings, such as a voting booth. Just a thought, but based on lots of personal experience.

If most elders are conservatives, the only reasons I can think of are herd mentality and fear. What happened to independent critical thinking? As long as your brain still works, use it. Neither major party has all the answers, and certainly no one TV network does. And it's a cinch the truth doesn't come through advertising. It's okay if your food must be spoonfed, but not your thoughts, not your politics. I started my adult life as a Goldwater Republican, gradually moved to being a Gore Democrat, and then washed my hands of them all and registered independent. I vote issues and candidates, not party.

When the 2004 elections were heating up, I tried to talk to my 85 year old mother about not voting against her best interests (Bush). She quietly said that Bush was against abortion and that she would always vote for the person who was against abortion. (sigh)

I am an unrepentant liberal/progressive who refuses to watch Fox anything and plan to work for Obama's campaign. (And I am not totally enchanted with him either.)

I can't believe how many elders insist upon voting against their own interest.

I think that those elders who vote Republican are simply voting as they have always voted. It's a habit with them.

Do you think that they could possibly understand the issues and still vote Republican? How could they when the very programs that we elders depend on most (Social Security and Medicare) would be the first to go in a Romney Administration?

Today I read in the paper that the food stamp program was going to be drastically cut if Romney was elected.

That goes over real well with the Fox News crowd because we all "Know" how those people cheat the system with their food stamps.

Never mind that most of them are feeding their children. The imagined image of the Food Stamp Mother is of somehow Cheating the system by ,God Forbid,buying her kids some ice cream with the stamps. Horrors!

They never give a thought to the business people who take the 3 hour lunches at the best restaurants, then deduct the cost as a business expense. It would take about 20 Food stamp moms to come close to the cheating on expenses by one business person every day in this country.

I cannot understand elders,women,students depending on grants or loans,
or anyone in their right mind voting for Mitt Romney.

I don't live in an elder enclave of all white people, and I don't watch Fox. I have no sympathy for reactionary old people. I don't hang around with conservative and reactionaary people of any age, and I don't understand why anyone should have to listen to them and their dumb ideas.
About such people I am very close minded and intolerant.

Fox News. And it isn't just elders. I really don't think most people have a clue what their best interests are economically. They mostly vote on social issues and elders tend to have more conservative views socially.

My old relatives and friends identify with the rich and their interests against the non-rich. Their ss, medicare, small pensions and dividends make them think they are rich even though they are really middle,middle class or lower middle class. This results in a wedge of people who stand between the 1 percent and justice and mercy for all of us.

Racism, selfishness, fear and stupidity.

It doesn't help that the Democrats are so disorganized.

It really is hard to pin point any single item. janinsanfran's comments hit some likely possibilities.

Adding to that, I think religion plays a role in how elders tend to side with the GOP. The right is good at creating the image of "godless liberals" and as people get older I think they tend to shore up their religious beliefs as they get closer to "meeting their maker", so to speak.

Thus it is perhaps in their best spiritual interest (or so they think) to vote for those who portray themselves more aligned with conventional religious views. Sadly they are unaware how distant today's conservative values are from core Christian values.

This makes sense to me because I will never forget back in 2004 when I was out knocking on doors trying to get people interested in Howard Dean, I had one elderly lady tell me, when she realized I wasn't representing George Bush, that she was "going to vote for the Christian." She said this as she was closing the door ever so slowly in my face.

I can't add anything to what has been said other than Progressives need to realize that "the best defense is a good offense". While nothing will change conservative minds mired in cement, I have to believe there are still some thinking Repubs out there, as well as true Independents.

I always chuckle when my mom rails against socialized health care...and then makes another appointment with her doctor. Why she cannot make the leap that she IS on socialized medicine makes no sense to me.
I don't know why people vote against their own best interests. My only guess is that people don't like change. That is why it is important to establish party affiliation when they are young.

Why do so many elders vote for conservatives? The answer is quite simple; (take note: I'm 85) Like most other human beings most of them are incredibly stupid.

I was bothered by several of the comments that said you have to be stupid to vote Republican. I think Joared was right in her list of reason. I am a registered republican because I believe that as a general rule small government is better and free enterprise is more efficient.

I am becoming less and less connected with today's Republican party. I adamantly support universal healyth care, abortion rights, gun control and gay rights, I can't believe that so many people believe we can cut. The deficit by cutting spending alone.

I just finished working for the tax season preparing tax returns. I was amazed how much anti democrat opinions I heard. My sense is that it is because people (especially elders) want to hold on to what they have earned an don't think the democrats will allow that.

One lady said something that several people agreed with.... "If you are not a liberal when you are young you don't have a heart and if you are not a conservative when you get older you dont have a brain"

Apparently I have neither because I was a VERY conservative college student and am becoming more and more liberal as I get older.

Many of the prior comments imply that the elderly are stupid and vote against their own self interest. Are elderly stupid? I doubt it. Maybe the elderly are voting, in a larger percentage, what is best for their country not themselves.