Disability Politics

My aide Desma commented yesterday that she'd heard nothing in the current political campaign about the disabled.  Of course, she's right.  Most politicians, probably including the four currently running for national office, no doubt see disability issues as something to be addressed in the context of entitlement reform.  That reform, which will come soon because dealing with government debt demands it, has not been discussed in detail during the campaign as neither side wants to get bogged down in it.  The Democrats, in their heart of hearts, really don't want to reform entitlements; they will do so only reluctantly.  The Republicans argue entitlement reform is necessary for those currently getting benefits to continue to receive them, but they don't want to commit to details before the legislative process begins.  That's sound negotiating practice, but it may leave the GOP vulnerable politically.

The fact is that the disabled is generally seen as a small interest group that the Democrats have sewn up.  That may or may not be accurate, but perception is big in politics, and once a perception becomes accepted fact, changing it is difficult.  In any case, an interest group seen as a creature of one political party is an interest group lacking political clout.  To be able to have real influence, a relatively small group has to put its goals in a larger politiical context, allying itself with larger groups or with strong political trends; it must be ready to support either major party; and it must be able to, from its perspective, positively influence voting.

As the American population continues to age, the concerns of the disabled might become increasingly mainstream.  We'll see if the group has the political skill to build alliances that will bring it a louder national voice.