The Issue That Could Make a Third Party Matter: Social Security Is Dying and Nobody in Washington Will Save It

In 2033, Social Security benefits will be automatically slashed by 23%. No Congressional vote. No debate. Just math. The trust fund runs dry, incoming revenue covers only 77 cents of every dollar owed, and 68 million Americans take an immediate pay cut. This isn’t partisan spin, it’s the Social Security Administration’s own projection. Republicans won’t touch it because they remember what happened to George W. Bush. Democrats won’t touch it because their base treats any reform as betrayal. Both parties have calculated that kicking the can is safer than leading. Which means the issue is sitting there, waiting for someone...