The fight for senior citizen votes

By Rajesh Mirchandani BBC News, Palm Springs, California

Seniors are not necessarily set in their ways as decide how to vote

It's 104F in the low-rise desert city of Palm Springs, California. Crickets chirrup noisily in the bushes, while lush green lawns are kept alive by sprinklers.

Along the shimmering tarmac of Sunrise Way, a string of buildings announce themselves as "assisted living facilities".

Palm Springs is a haven for senior citizens.

And there are lots of them: 23% of Americans are 55 or older, some 67 million people.

The growth rate for over-55s is four times that of younger age groups.

At the Mizell Senior Centre, a daytime refuge from the heat, baked fish is on the lunch menu and old-time classics are on the piano.

Reagan Republicans

There, I met 82-year-old Ann Seacrest and her husband Richard.

It isn't the youth or the age that does it, it's their outlook Bunny Liebow

"Fifty-nine years we've been married," Ann told me. "We have 4 children, 13 grandchildren and they're all trying to raise their children in an orderly fashion... I have concerns for the young people today.

"I don't think enough of rules and regulations and proper behaviour has been emphasised enough."

Her husband Richard added: "I have always been an independent businessman and I like that concept. You sink or swim on what you're able to do and that's OK.

"And I've come close to drowning several times. And that's OK too.

"I don't want a socialist type approach to our government. If the Democrats get control of more of our money, they're going to put more socialist type programs in effect, which means more government, more government control for what we do."

John McCain is the presidential candidate most allied to this viewpoint, but given the crisis in America's banking sector, even he now advocates greater control of financial institutions.

It is clear that Ann and Richard are Reaganites; Southern California Republicans, just like the revered former president. These days, in this reliably Democratic state they are in a minority.

Diverse seniors

The Mizell Senior Centre offers more than 100 activities, from guitar lessons to tai chi classes to video games.

Senior citizens hold varying views about politics

It's a sign that America's over-55s are not a homogenous bunch.

In another room, about 20 people take part in a gentle exercise class. There are varying levels of activity: this session caters for two generations of America's elderly.

Two women in their 60s, Obama supporters, are debating what it means to be a Democrat.

"I'm proud to say I'm a liberal," says one. "My father was a union organiser in the 1940s."

"Some people think liberal is a dirty word in the US," suggests the other. "But really it just means you care about things."

It's the economy

Figures suggest older Americans are generally better off than younger age groups. Yet the economy remains the biggest election issue for Americans, regardless of age.

Health and the economy worry many seniors

Four hundred miles north of Palm Springs, in San Francisco, I found another way to keep fit in older life.

At the Rossi Swimming Pool and Recreation Centre, about two dozen 50-85 year-olds were taking advantage of "senior swim time".

Arriving for her dip, I met 81-year-old Agnes Haslam, who was worried about the rising cost of medical care.

'"They shouldn't get into social security or Medicare," she told me. "They're both very important to seniors....because prices keep going higher and higher and seniors are less and less able to afford what they need."

But Ms Haslam was also concerned about the the war in Iraq.

"I think they ought to bring the troops home as soon as possible. There's been enough people killed over there, too many, and I think Obama is the one to do that."

Loss of faith

In liberal San Francisco, several of the seniors I met were concerned about their nation's standing in the world.

Bunny Liebow, who is "over 60" said: "Morale in the country is so down. If we don't change things around we're going to go down the tubes for nothing.

"It's been proven that the Great Depression shouldn't have been so bad but people lost faith. I feel that's what's happening now..... and we've lost our friends in Europe, thrashing about doing all kinds of crazy things."

Her sentiments echo national surveys which suggest Americans feel overwhelmingly that the country is on the wrong track.

In a recent opinion poll, 56% of people said that over the last five years they either hadn't moved forward in life or had fallen back, according to the Pew Research Centre.

Bunny Liebow later admitted: "I just want the Democrats in, but I wish he [Senator Obama] had more experience."

Swing voters

Senator Obama polls very well in San Francisco, but then this is probably America's most liberal city.

Nationally John McCain - 72 himself - has been leading among older voters, up until now.

But for some, his age and well-known Vietnam War record do not qualify him to be America's commander-in-chief.

One senior swimmer I met, 59-year-old Richard, told me his presidential pick "is certainly not going to be a person who was a prisoner of war, who needs to win a war and who is willing to stick it out there as we're getting flushed down the toilet".

Up for grabs

So, with a wide range of opinions, how are older people going to vote?

A recent survey carried out by Senior Magazine, the largest such publication in northern California, found their readers favouring Barack Obama by 45% to 40%.

This is not surprising in a Democratic state: what is notable is that Obama's lead was not greater.

Tellingly, 14% of respondents favoured neither candidate.

The fact is that seniors do not vote as a block and do not automatically opt for a candidate of their generation.

As Bunny Liebow explained: "It isn't the youth or the age that does it, it's their outlook."

What politicians can't take for granted is the size of the senior vote and its unpredictability.

America's over-55s represent a huge swing vote.

In a close election race, the candidate who can tap into their concerns could win over the crucial "undecideds" needed to take the White House.