By Paul S. Gardiner

Conservative candidates campaigning for political office, especially high political office, will substantially increase their chances of winning by placing a very high priority on meeting with and speaking to as many senior citizen groups as possible.

As explained herein, senior citizens (65 years and older) largely vote for conservative candidates. Moreover, the experience of the November 2020 national election indicates that senior citizens represent the fastest growing voting segment of the American population, now amounting to approximately 25% of total votes cast.

Millions of senior citizens will vote for bona fide conservative candidates because they (seniors) want future generations of Americans (especially their adult children and grandchildren) to enjoy the same freedoms and liberty that they cherish. These seniors realize that the efforts of the woke cancel-culture crowd and teachings of critical race theory and critical justice theory are nothing more than efforts by a minority of well-funded, radical, far-left zealots, including far-left politicians, who basically want to turn America into a Marxist totalitarian state with them in continual control.

As recently reported in The New Republic, actual voting data gained by Edison Research during and after the November 2020 national election strongly support the statement that “America is run by geezers — no matter how you measure it, the elderly are still very much in charge of American politics.” Edison Research reports that the age group most increasing its share of votes cast in the election was the senior citizen population.

Actual voting data suggests that the senior citizen vote probably exceeded 25% of total votes cast. Surprisingly, 18- to 24-year-old voters had the same 9% share of votes cast as in the 2016 national election, and 25- to 29-year-old voters had the same 7% share of total votes cast.

Senior citizens have generational spheres of influence, i. e., adult children and often numerous voting grandchildren, where seniors can become voting “force multipliers.” Thus, a senior may be able to garner multiple votes for a particular candidate due to the respect and influence he or she has in the family circle, etc.

Additional reasons why the senior citizen vote is so important for conservative political candidates are 1) senior citizens vote more frequently and dependably in primary elections than any other segment of the voting population; and 2) U.S. Census data indicate that senior citizens are the fastest growing age group in the nation, thus giving them even greater power as a voting force.

Finally, millions of freedom-loving, patriotic senior citizens wholeheartedly support the words of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson: “Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us.”

In conclusion, conservative political candidates would indeed be wise to meet with and speak to as many senior citizen groups as possible in an effort to gain their confidence and future votes in both primary and general elections. The senior citizen vote has proven to be a very powerful and essential force required to help ensure conservative victory, especially if seniors become generational voting “force multipliers”!

Paul S. Gardiner is a senior citizen, retired Army officer, and Vietnam veteran. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, University of Alabama, and the United States Army War College.