Jonathan Chait writes on the Bush administration’s failed efforts to make Social Security privatization a “me first” issue.
I’m a little wary about making sweeping generalizations about why people say they are for or against something. In many cases, people simply don’t have a well thought out opinion to begin with. And with some issues, such as Social Security, I suspect there’s a notable segment of the population who are simply opposed to any change, regardless if it’s in their “self-interest” or not. [See also state income tax.] So I tend to read a lot of these opinion polls with a skeptical eye.