AARP loses 60,000+ Members

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-...

About 60,000 senior citizens have quit AARP since July 1 due to the group's support for a health care overhaul, a spokesman for the organization said Monday.
The membership loss suggests dissatisfaction on the part of AARP members at a time when many senior citizens are concerned about proposed cuts to Medicare providers to help pay for making health care available for all. But spokesman Drew Nannis said it wasn't unusual for the powerful, 40 million-strong senior citizens' lobby to shed members in droves when it's advocating on a controversial issue.

AARP is strongly backing a health care overhaul, running ads to support it and hosting President Obama at an online forum recently to promote his agenda to AARP members. However, the group has not endorsed a specific bill and says it won't support a plan that reduces Medicare benefits.

..........

60,000+ members. AARP is or isn't backing? Any word on that? Backing publicly but not privately? Backing, depending upon which tv show their on, which group they're speaking to?
What is the definition of 'backing'? Lib dems are so often changing the meaning of words, what is the new definition THIS week of the word 'support' or 'backing'.
Anyone?

:) citi

and the 60,000 number doesn't include the members who died and the potential new members who decided against joining. The net effect could be well over a 60k loss.

I got my renewal in June and refuse to belong.

Bob Oppenheimer wrote:

and the 60,000 number doesn't include the members who died and the potential new members who decided against joining. The net effect could be well over a 60k loss.

Thanks Bob! I hadn't thought about that! You're absolutely correct!

:) citi

Excellent !!!!

whaddabunchabull Anyone who believes that seniors are cancelling their AARP membership over this debate are kooks! My membership in the AARP doesn't mean I will vote the way that UNION tells me to vote. I joined so I could get my senior discount in restaurants and hotels. I even got a nice senior discount on my last gun. Sweet!

More dishonesty from The Right:

Here's how a CBS report about AARP and health care begins: "CBS News has learned that up to 60,000 people have cancelled their AARP membership since July 1st, angered over the group's position on health care."

CBS News "has learned" that "up to" 60,000 people have cancelled AARP memberships? Well, that sounds awfully fishy, doesn't it?

"Up to 60,000 people" could accurately describe 60,000 people, 50,000 people, 30,000 people, or two dozen people. Generally, people use the phrase "up to ____ people" when they want to focus your attention on a large number they don't know is actually true. If CBS actually knew there were 60,000 cancellations, they'd just say "60,000 people," without the "up to" wiggle words.

So, since CBS apparently has no idea how many people have cancelled memberships, how have they "learned" about this? It seems rather obvious that CBS "learned" this not by gaining access to AARP's records, or from an AARP official, but from the American Seniors Association, a right-wing fundraising organization featured in the CBS report. ASA is urging seniors to mail them torn-up AARP membership cards, which ASA will reward with half-off membership.

There's no reason to take ASA's claims about AARP's membership seriously -- they are not in any position to know, and have a clear interest in inflating the number of cancellations. That's almost certainly how CBS News "has learned" about the AARP membership cancellations -- ASA told them. And, since ASA has no idea how many people have actually cancelled AARP memberships, and ASA has a clear motivation for inflating those numbers, CBS had to include the "up to" wiggle words.

More:

http://mediamatters.org/blog/200908180012

Up With People wrote:

More dishonesty from The Right:
Here's how a CBS report about AARP and health care begins: "CBS News has learned that up to 60,000 people have cancelled their AARP membership since July 1st, angered over the group's position on health care."
CBS News "has learned" that "up to" 60,000 people have cancelled AARP memberships? Well, that sounds awfully fishy, doesn't it?
"Up to 60,000 people" could accurately describe 60,000 people, 50,000 people, 30,000 people, or two dozen people. Generally, people use the phrase "up to ____ people" when they want to focus your attention on a large number they don't know is actually true. If CBS actually knew there were 60,000 cancellations, they'd just say "60,000 people," without the "up to" wiggle words.
So, since CBS apparently has no idea how many people have cancelled memberships, how have they "learned" about this? It seems rather obvious that CBS "learned" this not by gaining access to AARP's records, or from an AARP official, but from the American Seniors Association, a right-wing fundraising organization featured in the CBS report. ASA is urging seniors to mail them torn-up AARP membership cards, which ASA will reward with half-off membership.
There's no reason to take ASA's claims about AARP's membership seriously -- they are not in any position to know, and have a clear interest in inflating the number of cancellations. That's almost certainly how CBS News "has learned" about the AARP membership cancellations -- ASA told them. And, since ASA has no idea how many people have actually cancelled AARP memberships, and ASA has a clear motivation for inflating those numbers, CBS had to include the "up to" wiggle words.
More:
http://mediamatters.org/blog/200908180012

get a job parasite

I was just reading CBS news. The story about AARP members cutting up their cards and sending them in. This little statement was at the very bottom.

"AARP says for a group with 40 million members that adds hundreds of thousands each month, losing 60 thousand is just a drop in the bucket."

Losing 60 thousand is a DROP IN THE BUCKET!!!!! How arrogant can you get.

I almost wish I was old enough to cut up my AARP card!

Those freakin mobsters......

khp33 wrote:

I almost wish I was old enough to cut up my AARP card!

Freakin' funny!
:) citi

Dallas wrote:

Those freakin mobsters......

Freakin' right! Gun-totin' mobsters wearing their Brooks Brothers clothing! How DARE they!

:) citi

I'm just pissed that I never joined in the first place....I'd love to tell them where they could stick their AARP card, and my dues.....shucks, I'm a day late and a dollar short.....

Wow some moron actually thinks CBS and Media matters are truthful. He needs to date a different blowup doll.

S M Butler wrote:

whaddabunchabull Anyone who believes that seniors are cancelling their AARP membership over this debate are kooks!

...unless, as the AP reported, "The approximately 60,000 number represents members who specifically cited AARP's stance on the health overhaul debate in canceling their membership between July 1 and mid-August."

I like the context clues and the explicit use of the phrase "specifically cited AARP's stance on the health overhaul debate" as a reason for membership cancellations. The AP, not your normal, well-dressed right wing mob, has reported there is a link.
http://mediamatters.org/research/200908180038

S M Butler wrote:

whaddabunchabull Anyone who believes that seniors are cancelling their AARP membership over this debate are kooks! My membership in the AARP doesn't mean I will vote the way that UNION tells me to vote. I joined so I could get my senior discount in restaurants and hotels. I even got a nice senior discount on my last gun. Sweet!

I just canceled mine and was happy to do it. I told them it was for political reasons. They were very nice about it. Here's an article you might find interesting
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news...
So even if it wasn't for political reasons this would give me pause

If you turn in your torn AARP ID to the American Seniors Association they'll give you two years membership for the price of one.
http://www.americanseniors.org/Pages/home.asp...

I just cancelled our membership(two of us)after 10 years. They were always left leaning, but this health care endorsement really makes us angry. AARP is a lobbying group that sells insurance. I bet you can guess that it was in their "best interests" to endorse the democratic plan. No more BS please.

Hey linda, after what AARP just pulled they might lose a lot more...dirty rats. Bye the way....the insurance AARP sells, sucks big time. Lots of folks are dropping their policies so I have heard.