This WaPo story tells about how a sample of low-income working families feel about changing Social Security. The upshot: They like the guaranteed check; they get ripped off in so many other ways, but they've seen that Social Security never gets taken away or denied; they don't have the time or inclination to manage a private account. The story says they no more want to manage their own retirement accounts than you want to repair your own car.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1802&ncid=716&e=19&u=/washpost/20050
418/ts_washpost/a61356_2005apr17
The message for fine-tuning our side's pitch is clear. Ad campaigns with stories like the ones DFA gathered, but press this point... Social Security was the one thing we could count on. Social Security was always there. All the CEOs in the country can rob their companies blind, crooked lobbyists can pocket our tax dollars, stock brokers can make off with your 401(k), but that Social Security check will still be there every month.
You might even show that... someone finding out the used car they just bought is a lemon. Someone opening a letter saying that ABC Corp. has bankrupted, changed its name and moved to China. 401(k) balance now zero. Someone being told by their credit card company that their payment arrived one day late and they will now owe 35% interest on their remaining balance. And so on. But then there's someone opening up their mailbox and getting their Social Security check. No matter what life throws at you, you can count on Social Security. Don't let Wall Street take away your peace of mind.