He says what they really think
They need to put this ad on a loop in Wisconsin:
He is not alone in believing this. Basically, they all do. They’ve been trying to eliminate Social Security and Medicare since they were implemented. They made a serious run at it just a few years ago, in 2005. They will never give that up no matter how “populist” they pretend to be.
Rick Scott put this idea about making it discretionary (to be reauthorized every 5 years) into the official agenda for the Senate Campaign Committee so it’s not just Johnson being a weirdo. They are really talking about this. What it would mean is that no one could ever count on having health care or financial support in their old age again. They would send people into penury without another thought.
This part of the GOP has not died just because Trumpism is about the latest iteration of the interminable culture war battles over religion, race and gender. They still want to ensure that wealthy people don’t pay taxes and that average working people are desperate and insecure. It’s fundamental. It’s who they are.