Rubio's call to change Social Security puts him in line with experts, if not voters
WASHINGTON — From as far back as Barry Goldwater in 1964, political candidates have risked backlash in Florida for suggesting changes to Social Security. So it was remarkable to see Marco Rubio in a national TV debate with Gov. Charlie Crist call for raising the retirement age.
Blogs and Facebook groups instantly lit up. The consensus was Rubio committed a serious gaffe. Older Americans are among the most reliable voters, and in Florida, 2.4 million of them receive Social Security.
But as he braces for Crist to exploit the issue in their intense Republican U.S. Senate primary, Rubio says it shows that he is willing to confront the uncomfortable.
"This is one of those issues that we have to deal with," he said in an interview.
Many Social Security experts agree that raising the retirement age is one of the solutions that must be considered if the 75-year-old entitlement program is to avoid insolvency.
"Any expert from any political spectrum will tell you that Rubio was right," said Andrew Biggs, former No. 2 at the Social Security Administration and now with the conservative American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.
Rubio may have the experts on his side but there are political risks in Florida, just as there were when he disagreed with Crist and said illegal immigrants should not be counted in the 2010 census. That stance could cost the state millions in federal aid to cover services.
"As soon as you say anything about Social Security, a lot of voters don't want to know the details," said David Denslow of the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research, who agrees Rubio's approach is sensible.