Reply #8: I'm a little in awe of Republicans ability to shape consensus.

[pa28]

They've turned a false narrative about SS into the conventional wisdom and the conventional wisdom is always the best wisdom among inside the bubble punditocracy.

I have to disagree with Greider about the public being generally aware of this "big lie" though. I'm always stunned when I hear people talk about SS in the same loaded terms as Republicans have been using about it for years. "Ponzi Scheme", "SS is broke", "It's exploding the deficit", "100 trillion unfunded liability", "worthless IOU's" etc. etc. They've won the PR war even though all the common conclusions reported as truth and repeated ad-nauseum are factually wrong.

The public has bought the story just as the "very serious" Democrats and media elites have. It's an ideal time for Republicans to strike hard at the program and realize their long term dreams. I'd be very surprised if they did not reject the modest Simpson commission cuts and instead demand a package that included privatization.