ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

Today was such an important day in history - for so many reasons, and for so many people.

I started voting as soon as I was able to: when I turned 18. Not any one candidate or issue got me fired up, it was simply an important rite of passage. To vote meant to participate in one of our greatest freedoms.

Voting is perhaps the most important representation of a democracy which we are so lucky to have here in America. People in other countries have given their lives to achieve this privilege of a voice. A voice that isn't pressured by any one else but is representative of one's own best judgment.

It is massively important for everyone of all ages to vote, but for those of us who are over 50 and older hopefully have some experience. Perhaps our perspective and appreciation that our voting will have significant policy and leadership impact to the well being of not only ourselves, but of future generations is felt a little bit stronger as we age.

The work day is over, you're heading home...or off to vote...or the bar...or to your brother's mother-in-law's house to watch all the election night hullabaloo.

If you're hosting your own party, or maybe just want to have some fun with your family, here's a few suggestions:

Real Simple has election night cocktails to celebrate the occasion and also has some food ideas as well.

Make a game of Bingo! from commonly used election-related phrases from media and candidates alike! Daily Kos has a few examples.

How about a nice game of trivia? Scribble a few trivia questions down about past Presidents and have a go. Click here for some ideas.

If you're like me, and just can't keep track, print out this blank map of the U.S. and grab a blue and red marker to track who's winning where.

Came across this interesting little calculator today....gives you a rough estimate of what each candidates tax plans will do to your taxes over the next four years....

http://www.electiontaxes.com/

Iowans got a whooole lotta Champ, the Divided We Fail mascot, today...check him out!

One more guest blogger for you today. This time, Arturo Vargas from National Association of Latino Elected Officials (or NALEO) joins us in talking about the much sought after Latino vote...

Today, the Latino community has a historic opportunity to play a decisive role in the outcome of the presidential election. In order to meet the needs of the country's Latino voters, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund has been engaged in an unprecedented voter engagement campaign that is changing the face of the American Electorate by increasing Latino voter participation.

Nationally, there are 17 million Latinos eligible to register and participate in the nation's electoral process, of which 30 percent are over the age of 50. We anticipate that today Latinos will play a critical role in writing the next chapter of the American story.

Over the past few weeks, the NALEO Educational Fund and its national and local partners, including Mi Familia Vota and the National Council of La Raza, have been making live phone calls to voters in eight states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Texas. In all, live phone canvassers reached out to more than 160,000 thousand young, newly registered, and infrequent Latino voters.

Today, all of the organization's resources are focused on our 1-888-Ve-y-Vota hotline, the largest live-operator bilingual hotline. It is serving as the voter information hotline for the ya es hora campaign and the official Spanish-language hotline for the national Election Protection Coalition. We will be taking calls all day helping voters find their polling places and taking reports on voter protection issues.

Arturo Vargas
Executive Director
NALEO

Beth Carpenter in Missouri sent us this photo today...first Howl-O-Ween and now this!

Here's a few places to play online with while you're at work related to the election:

CNN has an interactive electoral map where you can call the race yourself....have some fun and play the numbers.

Google has some customized searches you can do to find out local election results.

Browse around the Washington Post's polls and survey results page.

If you're looking for a funny take on the elections - Saturday Night Live's web site has all the skits related to the election on their homepage. Just don't laugh too loud...your coworkers will know what you're up to!

New York Times has an interactive map that will be updated every hour.

You can always watch MSNBC's streaming coverage from your computer if you're really looking to kill some time in your cubicle...

I'm sure some of you have heard about or seen the popular PSA campaign called "Don't Vote"...it has every Hollywood celebrity you can think of saying "don't vote" and then acting very confused.

Tamara James, our AARP Ohio Associate State Director for Community Outreach had this to say about her voting experience:

The combination of early voting and six voting machines instead of four at my precinct seems to be successful. My wait was only 20 minutes this morning, instead of the 2.5 hours in 2004. While I was waiting in a shorter-than-expected line, I realized that the young guy explaining how to use the electronic voting machines is my 18-year-old neighbor. After I got over my initial shock that he is old enough to vote, I started thinking back to when I was in grade school and the movement to give 18-year-olds the right to vote. I remember hearing the justification that someone old enough to fight in the Vietnam War should have the right to vote in elections. It seemed so logical to me, even as a 3rd grader. Our family was far from political and didn't pay attention to issues, but it made an impression on me at the time and I vowed that when I turned 18, I would exercise my right to vote. I did, and I've tried to vote in every general, special or primary election ever since.

Tamara James, our AARP Ohio Associate State Director for Community Outreach had this to say about her voting experience:

The combination of early voting and six voting machines instead of four at my precinct seems to be successful. My wait was only 20 minutes this morning, instead of the 2.5 hours in 2004. While I was waiting in a shorter-than-expected line, I realized that the young guy explaining how to use the electronic voting machines is my 18-year-old neighbor. After I got over my initial shock that he is old enough to vote, I started thinking back to when I was in grade school and the movement to give 18-year-olds the right to vote. I remember hearing the justification that someone old enough to fight in the Vietnam War should have the right to vote in elections. It seemed so logical to me, even as a 3rd grader. Our family was far from political and didn't pay attention to issues, but it made an impression on me at the time and I vowed that when I turned 18, I would exercise my right to vote. I did, and I've tried to vote in every general, special or primary election ever since.

AARP's Tallahassee office having a little Divided We Fail fun...

AARP's Florida state director, Lori Parham sent us this note:

Florida elections officials deserve credit for promoting early voting, which almost certainly has helped with congestion today. Some 4.26 million Floridians voted early, either through early voting or by absentee ballot. Almost 38 percent of all registered voters had cast their ballots before the first of the state's 7,000 polling places opened their doors at 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time today.

Our folks are seeing only a few problems with ballots or machines. A few precincts we checked had long lines upon opening, but most of those lines had cleared out by 9 a.m. In one Tampa Bay precinct, an optical scanning machine jammed, causing a two-hour delay in voting. On the other hand, in one Tallahassee precinct, another optical scan machine caught an error by a voter and rejected the ballot. The voter was immediately provided with a fresh ballot, and was able to vote successfully.

Another one from our ever dilligent Kathy Keller:

We're hearing from friends and volunteers across the state who tell voters already were in line as early as 5 a.m. today to make sure they could vote before going to work. That morning rush had waits of an hour to an hour and a half between 7 and 8:30 a.m., but lines had largely disappeared in suburban area polling places by 9:30 this morning.

From the AARP North Carolina State President Diana Hatch:

"Rainy election-day weather in North Carolina doesn't appear to be dampening turnout. Lines are long in many precincts, but they appear to be moving at a good pace. Election officials had anticipated that some three million votes would be cast on election day, but those estimates have now been scaled back to around two million after extremely heavy early voting in the Tar Heel state. More than 40 percent of North Carolina's eligible voters - over two and a half million persons - have already cast their ballots. The electorate here has changed significantly with some 400,000 new registrations in the last year, many representing retirees and others who have moved to North Carolina from other states; we'll have to see what impact that has on long-standing patterns in presidential elections."

There has been no shortage of discussion about gender this election cycle, whether it was the candidates themselves or the issues they were discussing. Here's Debra Ness, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families on why this election is so critical for women:

Most of us who are over 50 have voted quite a few times, perhaps for hundreds of candidates if you add up the choices we've made on the many Tuesdays when we've trudged to the polls. That gives us the perspective to recognize that this is an election like few others.

As the long campaign draws to a close, and we rejoice that the political ads are finally going to disappear from our TV screens, it's worth taking a moment to consider what's at stake. For women, the outcome of this election will help answer key questions:

• How will the next President and Congress address our economic woes, and will they make it a priority to protect middle- and low-income workers and preserve our retirement income?
• What kind of health care reform will we adopt? Will it be meaningful reform that gives everyone access to quality, affordable health care with the drug benefits we need? Or will we continue to tinker around the edges, while the ranks of the uninsured grow, and medical errors and other quality problems get worse?
• Will we pass stronger laws to protect seniors, women, people of color, and others who face discrimination in the workplace - and will we enforce the anti-discrimination laws we have?
• Will we establish a minimum standard of paid sick days, so low-wage workers can take a few days off to recover from flu, care for a sick child, or get a mammogram without losing their pay or their jobs?
• Will we adopt paid family and medical leave, so we can all afford to take time off when illness strikes?

The answers lie not just in the results of today's election, but in how engaged and active we are afterward.

Today it feels like the future really is in our hands. But we make the most of it only if we vote today, and then speak out and stay involved tomorrow.

Debra L. Ness, President
National Partnership for Women & Families

Remember SchoolHouse Rocks? Well, here's a 3 minute diddy on the Electoral College a la SchoolHouse! Could be good to show your kids and grandkids while you're at it?

One more video that breaks it down...

Since we're bringing election updates and analysis straight to you here at Shaarp Session, we thought we'd invite a few guest bloggers to share their perspectives too. Below, Ralph Everett from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies talks about why this election is so important - especially for African Americans. Read on:

This is a historic election - in more ways than one.

Take, for example, the issue of voter turnout. With record numbers of new voter registrations and polls showing enormous interest in this election among a broad cross-section of the voting age public, the number of Americans who will cast ballots in this election may surpass the previous record.

The same goes for turnout among African American voters. We expect that African American turnout will increase by about 20 percent and thereby establish a new record for black voter turnout. This increase is driven by strong concerns about the economy and the war in Iraq as well as the historic candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. A surge in black voter turnout would continue a trend that we saw in 2004.

We expect that as young African Americans have been most electrified by the candidacy of Senator Obama, they will record the greatest increases in turnout. In addition, we would expect turnout to reach a zenith among African Americans age 50 and over - because there is enormous interest and concern in issues such as affordable health care, retirement security and family financial security. All of these issues will be affected by the policies and programs of the next President of the United States. Our polling has shown that Social Security is important to retirement security among African Americans, with some one-third of them expecting that it will be their major source of income in retirement. In addition, large majorities of black voters think the next President should do something to ensure that health care is affordable.

Given the stakes, it is difficult to imagine that there are any African Americans under the age of 25 or over the age of 50 who will sit this election out. The surge in interest and participation - something the Joint Center has promoted for nearly 40 years - is a great thing for our country and for the prospects of America becoming that "more perfect union" we all know it can be. If you are one of the few who hasn't yet voted or made plans to cast your ballot, what are waiting for?

Ralph B. Everett
President and CEO, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

From our good friend Morie Smilie - also Communications Director for AARP Colorado:

Downtown Denver Election Commission leadership is calm prior to the polls opening! They moved to a precinct model so traffic should be more manageable than earlier elections. Also, 64% have already voted in early voting!

The weather isn't going to be a factor on the eastern plains, partly cloudy and a high of 67. In the mountains, snow is flying with 8 to 14 inches of powder expected.

McCain will rally his supporters in Grand Junction on the western slope this morning.

While you're partaking in your civic duty why not get a flu shot too?

Select polling places around the nation have accompanying facilities that are offering flu vaccinations! I know I know...everyone's got a theory on the flu shot...but hey, it's better than getting sick!

Now what! Other than sit back and watch the results roll in (and partake in a little punditry of your own)...check out the national chains giving away freebies if you're sporting your "I Voted" sticker!

Find a Starbucks near you...though that shouldn't be hard.

Krispy Kreme is giving away star shaped donuts at participating stores.

Pick up a free scoop of deliciousness at your local Ben and Jerrys.

I even hear that Chick-fil-A is giving away chicken sandwiches with proof of voting!

Grab a free taco at California Tortilla while you're at it!

Divided We Fail teams are out in full force encourage folks to vote! This snapshot comes from Florida...

Kathy Keller, state Communications Director for AARP Ohio sends the following note this morning:

Since we fell back into Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, dawn was beginning to glow as polls opened at 6:30 this morning. Weather forecasters across the state are calling for mostly sunny skies and temperatures to reach the 70s.

County boards of elections are reporting that a quarter to a third of registered voters already have cast their ballots. Ohio's Secretary of State is predicting that 80 percent of the state's registered voters will cast ballots in this election.

Polls remain open until 7:30 p.m. today, and poll workers have been instructed to allow anyone waiting in line at that hour to vote before closing.

Here's a photo from 8:08 am from the Oak Pointe elementary precinct in Irmo, South Carolina. The line is about 75 people deep behind where I took this photo and they are a still coming. We have been in line for about 20 minutes.

For those of you who will be glued to your television sets tomorrow - or out at a watch party - check out Bulletin Today's article on how things might play out tomorrow.

Impress your friends with your deep knowledge of political strategy!

Our state President, Stella Hyde says that over the last year, our volunteers and members have collected over 30,000 Divided We Fail pledge cards from Pennsylvanians who believe that all Americans should have access to healthcare and lifetime financial security. Our members across the state realize the growing importance of the older voter. She believes quite strongly that older voters in PA are informed and ready to make their decision on Election Day.

Why PA is so interesting to watch this cycle:

• The dramatic increase in registration numbers for Democrats, especially in the SE corner of the state, make the area a place to watch, not only on the national level but how it translates into votes on down-ticket races
• Early election polls are favoring Obama to gain 21electorial votes in Pennsylvania, while Republicans have placed a great deal of importance on Pennsylvania in the Presidential race. Since the end of the GOP Convention, McCain has made 17 campaign stops throughout the commonwealth, including one today (Monday) in Pittsburgh. Running mate Palin, has made 23 campaign visits, including last Friday's stops in Latrobe and York.
• This year we are anticipating weather to play a large role in a massive voter turnout with weather forecast predicting highs in the 60s forecast from for most of the state from Erie to Philadelphia.

Our Communications Director in Missouri passed along this note:

On Saturday at the Kansas City Election Board, the line for absentee voting was LONG, but those waiting were in good spirits and chatty. One gentleman was distributing bottled water, snacks and (Starbucks) coffee.

Weather tomorrow in Kansas City: 73 degrees with a few clouds, good air quality. Should be like that for most of the state. Bad weather is rolling in from the West on Wednesday (rain and a cold front).

1.Know where your polls are and when they close.

Most polls close between 6pm and 9pm. In some states, such as Maine, you only need to be in line at the time the polls close in order to vote - others may not be as lenient. Also, make sure you are voting at the correct voting place - your vote may not count if you go to the wrong location.

2.Make sure you're registered.

In some states you can register at the polls on Election Day (Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming. North Dakota does not have voter registration).

3.Leave the Obama or McCain sweatshirt at home.

It's not a good idea to wear political clothes, buttons, stickers, etc to the polls. Many states restrict how close you can get to the actual polling station with politically motivated speech.

4.Bring photo identification.

AARP advises everyone to bring information identifying them by name and address and, if possible, with a photo. At the very least bring a utility bill for your current home address, and, if possible, a driver's license or work ID.

5.Vote.

The fact is in 2004 the election was settled by a matter of less than 120,000 votes in Ohio; in 2000 it came down to 537 votes in Florida. This doesn't even count state wide races, such as for Governor of Washington in 2004 which was decided by 129 votes. The reality is that in 2004, more than 14 million people who were registered to vote did not. When elections come down to thousands, hundreds and sometimes dozens of votes, showing up is everything.

Election Day is November 4th (that's tomorrow!). Vote.

State Director, Lori Parham has this to say about Floridians and voting:

"We anticipate extremely heavy turnout on Tuesday. Floridians have been voting early since Oct. 20, and we're seeing long lines at polling places throughout the state," said Lori Parham, AARP's Florida State Director.

As of Nov. 3, more than 2.61 million Floridians already had used the state's early-voting option. If absentee ballots are included, party and news-media vote totals suggest that some 4.26 million Florida voters already have cast their ballots, out of a total number of registered voters of 11.25 million, or nearly four in 10 voters.

"Clearly, these statistics signal extremely strong voter interest," Parham said. "We may be about to witness history-making voter turnout in Florida."

I remember going with my mother to vote in Tucson, AZ when I was growing up. She would check in, take her ballot and walk into the booth. I was instructed to hold on to her jeans so she could rest assured I wouldn't run away. After she was done voting, we'd head off to the kids table where I'd vote by picture and collect an "I Voted" sticker of my own.

I have no doubt that watching my mother vote election after election has impacted my voting habit today. So, whether your child or grandchild is 8 or 18, take them to vote. Make it a family activity and foster a healthy discussion on politics and where they stand!

Ann Black from our Iowa office sent the following note this morning as well:

For the past five weeks, Iowa AARP and Divided We Fail have been on a 16-stop 'Break the Gridlock Tour' around the state talking with capacity crowds in packed rooms about the rising costs of health care and long term financial security. "I have never seen Iowans more engaged in an election," said AARP Iowa State Director Bruce Koeppl. "Iowans are as concerned today about these issues as they were when this process began two years ago. They are tired of the gridlock in Washington and they expect the next President and Congress to work together and demand action on these issues."

Kathy Keller, Communications Director in our Ohio office sent me a note about how things are looking there on the ground:

• Unseasonably balmy weather (57 degrees in downtown Columbus at 9:30 a.m. - with the temperature expected to reach 71 later today and tomorrow) is adding to expectations of record voter turnout
• Early voting has been especially heavy in metro areas - voters waited in lines for up to 6 hours Sunday in Columbus in order to cast ballots.
• Voters already were in line this morning at the early voting site in downtown Columbus - Veterans Memorial Auditorium - hours before it opened at 8 a.m. this morning. The site is open until 7 p.m. tonight for early voting, and elections officials say anyone in line at that hour will be allowed to vote.

There are 3 days left until Election Day, and we here at ShAARP Session thought it appropriate to conduct a little countdown while we're impatiently awaiting for the big day to arrive.

Each day, we'll give you a different issue and lay out both candidate's position. Last time we brought you candidate positions on the economy. Today's issue: health care.

McCain's Proposals:

• Replacing personal tax exclusion for employer-provided health insurance with a $2,500 tax credit ($5,000 for families) to help people buy their own insurance.

• Expanding health savings accounts for families to use tax-free dollars to pay for health care.

• Allowing individuals to buy any plan available, regardless of state of residence.

• Lowering drug costs by allowing reimportation of less-expensive drugs from Canada and other developed nations.

• Using information technology to reduce health care system administrative costs for billing.

Obama's Proposals:

• Making affordable and quality coverage available to everyone who wants it through a combination of private insurance and expanded public plans covering essential medical services that include preventive, maternity and mental health care.

• Requiring employers to provide health insurance to workers or pay a percentage of their payroll to finance new public programs, with company plans reimbursed for a portion of the cost of catastrophic illness or injury.

• Holding costs down by allowing people to choose from a pool of competing private plans and one public plan similar to Medicare.

• Requiring that all children have health insurance, with costs subsidized by repealing President Bush's tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000.

• Allowing children up to age 25 to get coverage under their family health insurance.

• Lowering costs through greater use of information technology.

• Allowing the reimportation of safe, lower-cost prescription medicines from Canada and other developed countries. This information was gleaned from AARP's Decision 2008 Matchups. Choose wisely!

Jay Hardenbrook, Program Coordinator in the AARP Missouri office sent me this note just moments ago:

"Lines for on-site absentee voting in Kansas City, MO are causing voters to wait between two and a half and four hours to vote absentee."

It's tough out there folks...bring a blanket, some water and a snack..whatever you have to do to get out there and vote!

Election Day is fast approaching. Here on ShAARP Session our goal is to keep you informed to you can make the best decision on November 4. We've already distilled for you the candidate's positions on the economy and health care. Today, we bring you candidates' dueling proposals on Social Security and Retirement. These points are drawn from AARP's Candidate Matchups.< We hope this is helpful!

McCain's Proposals

• Letting a commission take the lead in developing options, then negotiating a long-term solution that preserves the Social Security obligation to retirees while restoring the program's solvency. He promises not to cut benefits or raise taxes.

• Supplementing Social Security with personal savings accounts that can be invested in "safe and reliable index funds."

Obama's Proposals

• Protecting Social Security benefits from cuts.

• Imposing a Social Security payroll tax on salaries above $250,000.

• Maintaining the current retirement age for benefit eligibility.

• Stopping any attempts to create private Social Security investment accounts.

• Eliminating income taxes for some 7 million seniors making less than $50,000.

• Creating automatic enrollment in company 401(k)s and in IRAs for employees without company 401(k)s.

There are five days left until Election Day, and we here at ShAARP Session thought it appropriate to conduct a little countdown while we're impatiently awaiting for the big day to arrive.

Each day, we'll give you a different issue and where the candidates stand. And what better than to start today with what seems to be the most important issue of late that's plaguing all of our minds? That's right folks - the economy.

McCain says:

• The economic rescue plan should entail lowering the tax rate on people who tap their 401(k)s and IRAs after reaching age 59½, increasing allowable tax deduction from $3,000 to $15,000 for selling stocks at a loss, and cutting capital gains taxes from 15 percent to 7.5 percent for two years.
• He aims to balance the federal budget by 2013, which will be done by freezing nondefense, nonveterans discretionary spending for a year; cutting or vetoing all earmarks spending for one year; hence, providing more resources for coordinated job-training programs.
• Lastly, he's for promoting more free trade with better enforcement to ensure that the U.S. gets a fair shake.

And here's Obama:

• The economic crisis plan should include creating a foreclosure prevention fund to help secure the housing market, allow penalty-free withdrawals of up to $10,000 from IRAs and 401(k)s in tax years 2008 and 2009, and give a $3,000 business tax credit for each new job creating in the U.S. in 2009-2010.
• He plans to increase the minimum wage and strengthen the right to union organizing.
• He wants to expand career retraining and financial assistance features of trade-adjustment assistance to service industries and offer assistance to workers in economic sectors vulnerable to dislocation.
• He wants to create a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank which would invest $60 billion over the next 10 years to rebuild roads, bridges and sewer and water systems, and in effect, create new jobs.

Both candidates have been adamant in saying there are serious differences in their plans on the domestic and global economy, which you can obviously see here. And when the winner is announced on Tuesday, it'll be our job to hold them to their promise to begin lifting our economy out of its hole.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's countdown issue!

It's less than one week until election day, and when we will find out who the next President of the United States is going to be. It's been a long and tough road for all of us.

While you wait impatiently for the number of days to count down and then the number of votes come in, don't forget to check out AARP's Decision 2008, where you can find AARP exclusive interviews with John McCain and Barack Obama, a guide to both candidates on the issues, the latest campaign news and even contrasting views from AARP members on the election. We've got it all!

And if you haven't already seen it already, you must check out our AARP Vote 2008 video we made especially for you; it's not to be missed!

To listen to the full interview, click play below then tell us what you think!

For more on this and other Prime Time Radio interviews click here and check out the accompanying BulletinToday news story.

All the analysts are abuzz about who won this debate since it's being hailed as the best one of all. So tell us...who won?

Senators Obama and McCain are getting right to the down and dirty - talking about their economic proposals. Everything from taxes, jobs, home ownership is on the table - who's plan do you think provides the most relief for you?

For those of you tuning in tonight...use our debate score card to keep track of how well the candidates answer the questions!

While we're thrilled for your feedback and welcome your thoughts about the election, we ask that all please be respectful and refrain from offensive or abusive language.

We're inside the 1-month countdown for the 2008 Presidential Election and that means it's time to voice your opinion! In less than 30 days there will be a new president-elect, and whether he's from the left or the right, blue or red, Americans demand that health care and financial security be addressed, and quickly.
30 Day Push for Action

At Divided We Fail, we're all about bipartisan efforts among our leaders in Washington to provide affordable health care and long-term financial security to every American. In order to make sure that our message gets through loud and clear, we're working on gathering hundreds of thousands of signed pledges to the DWF mission.

I call upon you in the next 30 days to spread the word and make sure that we, as a nation, are unified in a voice that calls for action. Tell your friends to sign the pledge at Dividedwefail.org and tell us what you think about the issues. How do you feel about the current state of health care and financial security and what's the best solution moving forward?

TAGS: Divided We Fail, DWF, AARP, dividedwefail.org, pledge, 2008, Presidential Election, health care, financial security

Tell us who won and why!

Don't forget that tonight Senators Obama and McCain will face-off in a townhall-style debate tonight! You can check your local listings for times and stations that will be carrying the event.

Just like last week's VP debate, we'll be hosting another poll where you cast your vote for you think came out on top! Visit us immediately after the debate and tell us what you thought.

Even though voting on the VP poll continues, here are the results as of today, at 3:41 p.m. ET. Interesting stuff indeed!

Cast your vote below and tell us who you think won the Vice Presidential debate. When you're done voting, tell us why in the comment section.

I know you guys have plenty to say...and I can't wait to hear it!

Dear Gwen Ifill,

Millions of retired Americans and Americans on the verge of retirement are more worried than ever about their retirement savings. Just look at the overwhelming response we received to our post earlier in the week asking for personal stories about how congress' inaction affects their lives. You are moderating tonight's Vice Presidential debate, and millions of AARP members will be tuning in.

AARP members--indeed all Americans--have high hopes that at tonight's debate, Governor Palin and Senator Biden address these fears directly. So please, Ms. Ifill, do not let either Vice Presidential candidate off the hook tonight. Press them to answer what specifically a McCain or Obama administration would to address the anxieties of retired and retiring Americans. Millions will be watching.

Sincerely,

ShaarpSession

As AARP does frequently, we surveyed some undecided voters and asked them where they stand right now with the candidates. The overwhelming majority (81%) of undecided voters say the debates will be important in deciding their vote, while most feel that they don't know enough about the candidates' economic and health care plans to decide yet.

The country will gather this evening to watch the first presidential debate, live from Oxford, Mississippi. To be sure, the economy will likely dominate the discussion in some fashion.

Given current issues facing the country, questions about the how our economy plays a role in the global community are absolutely on point. But we here at ShaarpSession would be remiss if we did not put in a plug for debate moderator Jim Lehrer to ask at least one question about the future of social security and how the candidates propose to strengthen our economy...older Americans are taking a beating right now.

One thing top on our minds here at ShaarpSession is how do the candidates think the current economic down turn will affect these entitlement programs?

We'll wait eagerly by the television set tonight to see what they have to say!

We're in the thick of this election, and who hasn't seen the accusations flying back and forth from our candidates? McCain's ad has gained a lot of publicity, featuring cameos from celebrities, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Miss Hilton responded with her own thoughts on the matter, with this Funny or Die Exclusive video. Senator Obama has released his own ads, as well, to combat his opponent, such as this economic ad.

Do these ads work as they are intended to? Do political ads help inform voters of the issues? Or do they simply perpetuate the political gridlock?

While our presidential candidates are pointing out all the reasons why they are opposed to one another, we thought it would be fitting to remind them both that they are signed members of the Divided We Fail pledge. So gentleman, take a break from all the accusations and start discussing what your plans are to provide affordable health care and long-term financial security for all!

What are your thoughts on the matter? Have these political ads changed your perceptions about a candidate? Tell us your thoughts by leaving a comment!

TAGS: John McCain, Barack Obama, Divided We Fail, Political ads, Paris Hilton, DWF, presidential candidates, ShAARP Session, Funny or Die

As planned, Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP, chatted with presidential hopeful Senator John McCain in front of a packed room full of AARP members, volunteers and 50 plusers. Sen. McCain answered questions about pre-existing conditions and how his health care plan addressed that, partisan gridlock in Washington and more. He also took the opportunity to tell more than 3,000 people where he stood on the issues and expressed his appreciation for Divided We Fail.

If you watched, tell us what you thought of the half hour chat. If you didn't, check out the replay on www.aarp.org anytime.

As promised, Senator Obama joined more than 3,000 AARP members, volunteers and 50 plusers this morning. Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP, asked the presidential hopeful questions about his health care plan, social security and more. Sen. Obama took the time to explain how his position differed from his opponent's and took the time to share his personal perspective on these national issues.

If you watched, tell us what you thought of the half hour chat. If you didn't, check out the replay on www.aarp.org anytime.

Mr. Novelli will be speaking with Senator McCain today at 12:30 p.m. ET - and you can catch that live on www.aarp.org as well!

Tomorrow morning Senators McCain and Obama will be speaking to 25,000 AARP members, volunteers and 50 plusers via live satellite. Each presidential hopeful will chat with AARP CEO, Bill Novelli about the issues and topics that our members, and you, our readers, are telling us matter most this election cycle.

We recently asked folks to submit their questions for the candidates so that we can share them with Mr. Novelli and the campaign teams. So far, you have sent us 12,000 questions! We think it's great, so keep sending questions our way!!

Click here to watch Senator Obama at 8:30 a.m. ET tomorrow (Saturday, September 6th).

Click here to watch Senator McCain at 12:30 p.m. ET tomorrow (Saturday, September 6th).

If you don't catch their chats in real-time, feel free to visit www.aarp.org anytime this weekend to watch them at your convenience. After you're done watching, come back to Shaarp Session and tell us what you think!

As the saying goes, "The proof is in the pudding." But when it comes to elections the proof might actually be in the swing voter.

AARP surveyed true swing voters - those of you know who you are, you undecided centrists - to find out what they looked like and what issues are paramount. Interestingly enough, your average swing voter is: white, lower-to-middle income, and an older woman and she probably lives in one of six key states: Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio or Pennsylvania. Swing voters in these states are focused on domestic issues, namely the economy and health care...but 72% believe the candidates are doing a poor or fair job of addressing these important issues.

What I think is the best stat from the survey: 94% of swing voters in the six key states agree that health care and financial security are too big for any one candidate or party to fix. If that doesn't scream, "We're tired of partisan temper tantrums!!" I don't know what does.

Shaarp Session recently chatted with Jonathan Martin - reporter and GOP blogger for Politco, an inside-the-beltway newspaper covering all things politics (and sometimes a little political pop culture, too). Jonathan shared his thoughts on the election, younger voters and how important age really might be this cycle.

Shaarp Session (SS): Jon, you are a reporter for Politico covering the '08 presidential race. Describe for us what a typical day for you is like...

Jonathan Martin (JM): The great part about my job is that, as police officers often say, every day is different. News and events have a way of overpowering the best-laid plans. The one constant in my life is my blog. I have to post items each and every day. I'm not up terribly early but often will blog into the night. The concept of weekends is increasingly less relevant as the election nears.

SS: In elections past we've had swing-voter subgroups such as "Soccer Moms" and "NASCAR Dads". What are the key swing groups of the 2008 election cycle?

JM: I'd keep an eye on two groups. First, suburban independents and moderate Republicans. These voters, often educated and upscale, are historically Republican but have been turned off by the Bush admin. McCain has traditionally had a different appeal among this set, but they also might find might find Obama's new politics message alluring. Second, white, blue-collar voters. Among this set, watch union members. They went for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary - will they stay with the party in the general? Obama could have cultural challenges with these voters, but his labor allies will work hard to keep them from crossing over

SS: We are hearing a lot about younger voters this election cycle. Yet during the primaries the majority of voters were 50 and older. Are media and politicians overestimating the power of the youth vote or is this the year they show up?

JM: Every election brings talk about whether THIS could be the year that kids turnout in a big way. And seemingly every year, it's older people who vote in much larger patterns. Obama, however, has the potential to boost youth turnout in a way that few national candidates have in recent history. In states where he really focused on this effort during the Democratic primary, he was able to deliver many young voters to the polls. Regardless of raw numbers, count on a significant age gap between McCain and Obama.

SS: Our members are particularly interested in hearing the candidates discuss healthcare and the economy in depth. Do you think these issues have been overshadowed by "gotcha" moments, or are we seeing what's come to be "typical" election coverage on policy?

JM: The change in the media technology, especially 24-hour cable news, has elevated gaffes and other campaign trail "moments." That said, the rise of the internet has also created a wealth of information about the candidates that in the past would be inaccessible. Interested voters with a modem can research deep into the depths of each candidate's background, record and policy platform. And there will be three debates this fall sure to delve into substantive domestic and foreign issues.

SS: What role, if any, do you think the ages of the candidates will play in the election? Sen. McCain would be the oldest person ever election and Sen. Obama would be one of the youngest. Will it matter in either case?

JM: See #3. Yes, I do think contemporaries of McCain and Obama will tend to favor their candidate. Voters have expressed concerns about Sen. McCain's age, but Obama's inexperience has also been raised. For both, it is a plus and a minus. For Obama, the upside is that he's got more youthful enthusiasm and ground soldiers. But in McCain's case, he's got guaranteed voters.

But hearing about Senator McCain's age is getting old (pardon the pun). And here we are - another day, another article. So he's a septuagenarian. And?? That's not news, and Mr. Kurtz's perspective in "Is McCain's Age Showing? Tongues Wag Over Flubs" is anything but fresh. Several potential reasons are given in the story for McCain's recent foreign policy gaffes, and yet the one the media gives credence to is his age. If Senator Obama makes a similar mistake - and we all make mistakes - should we say that it's because he's not old enough to know better?

With the endless speeches, exhaustive punditry and partisan cat fights, it's easy to lose focus on what the candidates are saying about financial security and health care reform. Here's a brief snippet of some comments recently made by Senators McCain and Obama on two subjects near and dear to our hearts at Shaarpsession...

McCain: "We want a system of health care in which everyone can afford and acquire."

Obama: "I've put forward a series of proposals that will foster economic growth."

McCain: ...To keep families in their homes and businesses growing...

Obama: We can't wait to fix our health care system

McCain: We will replace...

Obama: We are going to invest...

McCain: We are approaching...

Obama: We have the chance to solve problems that we've been talking about year, after year, after year, after year...

The real question we have here at Shaarpsession is this: Is all this going to turn out to be same old empty campaign rhetoric, or do we finally have two candidates who will work to enact real change?

Call, write, email, text, tap into your latest Jedi mind tricks, but most of all, GET INVOLVED and let these folks know that the time for talk is over. What we need is action.

Tired of hearing empty promises from politicians?  Feel like our leaders are just paying lip services to the issues that matter most?  We feel the same way, and that's why we're rolling out a new ad telling the Presidential candidates to stop talking and start doing.  Check it out:

In general, what is the best age for the president of he United States? Is the “best” age for a president in the 40s? 50s? 60s or 70s? CBS News conducted a poll in February that asked this exact question, and found some surprising results.

Just about half of those polled said that the best age for a president to be in office was in their 50s. But of course neither Senator Obama or Senator McCain is in their 50s. Barack Obama is in his 40s and John McCain is in his 70s.

Ok, so what does that mean? Well, 20 percent of those polled said that Barack Obama’s age was just about right while only 2 percent of those polled thought that John McCain’s age was appropriate to be president. So do a majority of people feel that John McCain is too old to be president?

Not exactly. The CBS poll also asked voters if they thought a candidate’s age would be an obstacle to their voting for a candidate. Only 30 percent of those polled said that McCain’s age would be a problem (70 percent didn’t think it would be a problem). But the surprising fact that the CBS News poll points out is that voters under 30 were less likely to view McCain’s age as a problem than were older voters.

Go figure.

Somewhere Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan are looking down on all this and smiling.

I know many have stopped paying attention and are planning their summer vacations. But West Virginia had a Democratic primary and the exit polls continue the trend we’ve seen nearly everywhere – 50 plus voters are half of those who are showing up. In West Virginia, exit polls have 55 percent of the electorate over 55 50 and 63 percent citing the economy as a key issue. A new question also centers on the recession and 89 percent of those who showed up yesterday said they are impacted by the economic downturn.

Sooo… I hear two things here – it’s the economy and it’s 50 plus voters will show up in the fall.

You may have heard that the presidential candidates are interested in holding joint forums with voters. AARP is offering to host them and have sent a letter out to the campaigns telling them. Why you ask? Because going beyond the partisan differences is important, it’s the only way were going to get anything done. It’s also why AARP formed Divided We Fail with a bunch of different organizations who have all come together agreeing to find common ground.

We’ll keep you posted on all of the candidate’s responses.

There’s a really neat website called On Day One that gives you the opportunity to tell the next President what to do on his first day in office. People are blogging, commenting, and vloggging about what they’d like to see come January 2009. There are some topics the site already lays out, mostly focused on foreign policy, but a critical health care mass would be a great thing. Check it out.

Tonight's primary showed us more of what we have already seen. And what's that? 50 plus voters turning out to vote and economic issues topping voters' concerns. According to the exit polls, North Carolina saw 55 percent of the electorate over 50 and in Indiana, 49 percent were 50+. The economy dominated as the top issue, with 61 percent in North Carolina and 67 percent in Indiana naming it as a top concern.

Hmmm... haven't we heard this before? Seems that across the nation there are two things that are pretty consistent - half the electorate is over 50 and the top issue is clearly the economy. Let's hope the candidates are paying attention.

Jonathan Martin of Politico recently wrote about Senator McCain and the issue of age, wondering if age impacts who is voting for the candidate. It seems to me like people are more focused on the issues and the media more focused on the superficial fluff. In fact, as recently as April’s Washington Post-ABC News poll, 70 percent of respondents said Senator McCain’s age makes no difference. So there.

Health care is the theme of the week. Probably one reason is that it is Cover the Uninsured Week. Now why are people uninsured? Lots of reasons – don’t think they need it, don’t think they have access to it, but most important is they can’t afford it.

On the campaign trail, there has been some discussion of the key issue here – the skyrocketing cost of health care. Senator John McCain spoke about it both yesterday and today, emphasizing the role of personal responsibility in health care. No one can dispute the importance of this. In fact, every candidate has a nod to better behaviors (eating less junk, exercising more) in their plans. It’s all good.

But where is this in the national media? Almost nowhere! Instead of the substance focused on the things that impact people’s everyday lives, we are left to tune into the bickering and melodrama that has seemed to envelop the spin cycle. Elizabeth Edwards wrote about it for the New York Times on Sunday, but today we’re still seeing the same old thing play out. Who isn’t sick of it?

As we have seen across the nation, voters 50 plus are a key part of tonight's Democratic race in Pennsylvania. According to exit polls from CNN, 59 percent of those who showed up at the polls were 50 or older. At nearly every state that has held primaries, approximately half of the voters were 50 plus.

The economy continues to dominate, with 55 percent of voters saying it is the issue they are most concerned about. This is consistent with what we have seen with our own members, who are concerned not only about their financial futures, but the financial future of their children and grandchildren.