Yahoo News reported recently that several state delegations at the Republican national convention in Tampa, Fla. were pissed-off because Mitt Romney’s top attorney initiated a national Republican party rule change that would allow the GOP presidential candidate to veto and replace state delegates.
Mitt Romney at one of his presidential campaign rallies. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The goal was to make it much harder for grassroots candidates and insurgents such as Ron Paul to win delegate backing at the national convention. Currently states choose the delegates who will go to the national convention. Those delegates vote for candidates, allotting them the delegate votes they won in their primary or caucus. The change proposed by Romney’s attorney would allow a candidate to replace any delegates with those who are more supportive of his candidacy.
So what has this got to do with senior citizens and elder care? In this case a lot because most of Romney’s money supporters are wealthy American’s who don’t want to pay the taxes they once did to support Medicare. Taxes they will now have to pay because of the new Medicare tax accessed on investment income in the Affordable Care Act.
Romney supporters avoided serious embarrassment at the national convention by reaching a deal over the proposed rule changes. According to Yahoo News a compromise deal now requires the delegates who are pledged to vote for a certain candidate at the national convention to do so or be dismissed.
Nonetheless the new rules, which are expected to be adopted, will significantly reduce the chances that grassroots candidates like Ron Paul can win delegates without also getting substantial support from primary or caucus voters.
Republicans should be worried that Romney supporters tried to take their voice and vote away. I doubt it will be the last time that they try.
I'm a working wife and mom who takes care of an aging parent. Only I began doing it full-time, in my home, when I was in my mid-thirties, single and about to make a career change. Thirteen years later, mom is still living with me and I expect it to be that way until one of us leaves this earth. It hasn't always been easy managing her care. (I've helped my mother recover from surgery, and a major injury that required a nursing home stay, as well as the death of my younger brother after a long illness.) But caring for her has been worth it because I know that my assistance means she enjoys a better quality of life as she ages. I hope the experiences and information that I share will help you manage,with grace, the changes that take place in your life as you assume the responsibility of being your parent's caregiver. If you have a question you think I can answer, please contact me at Cynthia@motherskeeper.com
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