This past week, following the July 23rd national launch of our campaign to expand Social Security with Senators Tom Harkin and Mark Begich, we held four successful events – in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Texas – to talk about the senators’ plan to expand Social Security, and discuss new polling that shows voters overwhelmingly support expanding Social Security, not cutting it.

In Texas, Dr. Andrew Achenbaum of the University of Houston succinctly described Social Security as “the basic compact we all share against risks” and encouraged Texas Senator John Cornyn to consider supporting the Harkin/Begich plan.

In New Jersey, PCCC co-founder Adam Green challenged the frontrunner for Frank Lautenberg’s Senate seat, Cory Booker, to take a stand for Social Security outside of the statehouse in Trenton. (Booker responded later that day on Twitter, saying he opposes cutting Social Security and considers raising the retirement age to be a cut).

In Massachusetts, progressive elected leaders from the City of Cambridge and the Massachusetts General Assembly joined with activists to recognize that millions of Americans depend on Social Security today and millions more are expecting to be able to receive the benefits they’ve earned in the years to come.

And in Kentucky, PCCC’s Karissa Gerhke discussed new polling that shows voters in the Bluegrass State want Social Security protected and strengthened, not weakened.

Together with Democracy for America, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee asked five hundred and eighty five voters in Kentucky for their reaction to the Harkin/Begich plan. 51% of respondents said they supported increasing Social Security benefits, while only 24% were opposed.

Question: A proposal in Congress would increase Social Security benefits, resulting in a worker at age 75 receiving $452 more in benefits per year and a worker at age 85 receiving $807 more per year. Do you support or oppose this proposal?

Support ………………………………………………….. Ai??51%

Oppose ………………………………………………….. Ai??24%

Not sure …………………………………………………. Ai??24%

(Public Policy Polling, July 19-21, 2013 Asked of 585 Kentucky voters – MOE 4.1%. Commissioned by PCCC/DFA.)

In Texas, we again found a majority supportive of expanding Social Security benefits:

Question: A proposal in Congress would increase Social Security benefits, resulting in a worker at age 75 receiving $452 more in benefits per year and a worker at age 85 receiving $807 more per year. Do you support or oppose this proposal?

Support ………………………………………………….. 56%

Oppose ………………………………………………….. 19%

Not sure …………………………………………………. 26%

(Public Policy Polling, July 29-30, 2013 — Asked of 561 Texas voters MOE 4.1%. Commissioned by PCCC/DFA.)

We also found overwhelming opposition to the idea of cutting Social Security in both states.

Question: Do you support or oppose the recent White House proposal to cut the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits, resulting in a worker at age 75 receiving $658 less in benefits per year?

Kentucky

Support ………………………………………………….. 13%

Oppose ………………………………………………….. 74%

Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

(Public Policy Polling, July 19-21, 2013 — Asked of 625 Kentucky voters MOE 3.9%. Commissioned by PCCC/DFA.)

Texas

Support…………………..……………………………… 9%

Oppose ………………………………………………….. 73%

Not sure …………………………………………………. 18%

(Public Policy Polling, July 29-30, 2013 — Asked of 522 voters Texas MOE 4.3%. Commissioned by PCCC/DFA.)

In 2014, incumbent Republican Senator Mitch McConnell (who has headed the Senate Republican caucus since Bill Frist’s retirement) will be running for reelection in Kentucky.

McConnell’s likely Democratic opponent in the general election is Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. We asked voters in Kentucky about the race and found that, by a slim margin, voters already prefer Grimes to McConnell.

Question: If the general election for U.S. Senate were held today, and the choices were Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, for whom would you vote?

Mitch McConnell ………………………………………………….. 44%

Alison Lundergan Grimes ……………………………………… 45%

Undecided ………………………………………………………….. 11%

(Public Policy Polling, July 19-21 – Asked of 1,210 Kentucky voters MOE 2.8%. Commissioned by PCCC/DFA.)

Since we released our polling on Thursday, the Grimes campaign has confirmed that its own polling shows her ahead of Mitch McConnell.

It’s clear that McConnell – who has touted himself as a “proud guardian of gridlock” -Ai?? is vulnerable.

But there’s more to the story than the head-to-head matchup.

When we asked voters whether they would be more or less likely to support Mitch McConnell if they knew he backed cuts to Social Security, an astonishing 52% said they would be less likely to support his reelection, while only 15% said they would be more likely to.

Question: If Republican Mitch McConnell supported any cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits, including raising the retirement age or reducing cost-of-living adjustments, would you be more or less likely to support his candidacy for U.S. Senate, or would it not make a difference?

More likely………………………………………………. 15%

Less likely ………………………………………………. 52%

Wouldn’t make a difference……………………….. 33%

(Public Policy Polling, July 19-21 – Asked of 585 Kentucky voters – MOE 4.1%. Commissioned by PCCC/DFA.)

McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton freaked out in a big way after these findings made headlines in Kentucky and around the country. He told the Huffington Post, “George Soros and the Obama Allies are up to their same old tricksai??i?? They have concocted another fictitious poll that has no basis in reality, held it for ten days, and released it at the perfect time in the news cycle to help their upstart liberal candidate. This poll has zero credibility and should be ignored out of hand.”

Sadly for Benton and McConnell, Public Policy Polling (PPP) has a stellar reputation among journalists and political observers as one of the most accurate pollsters in the country. Here’s Politico’s Charles Mahtesian, reporting on the day after the 2012 election:

A Fordham University report released Wednesday ranked the firm first among 28 organizations for the accuracy of its final, national preelection estimates.

The story in the Senate was much the same for PPP. It correctly picked every winner and, in most cases, slightly understated Democratic support and overstated GOP support.

Emphasis is ours.

Like the idea of expanding Social Security rather than cutting it? Join 300,000+ supporters and sign on as a supporter of Senator Tom Harkin and Senator Mark Begichai??i??s bills to increase benefits.