Upon viewing the ad that features a Largo couple bashing his take on Social Security, David Jolly told CL over the weekend that he had attempted to speak directly to that couple — Rod and Elizabeth Snedecker — on Friday, but was unable to leave a voicemail message on their phone. Jolly said that, although a political consultant might have advised him not to do such a thing, he's interested in reaching out to as many voters in Pinellas County as possible, including some who won't be voting for him in the special CD13 congressional election next month.
Here's the ad he was referring to:
On Sunday Elizabeth Snedecker confirmed that their phone system was having some problems late last week that could very well have prevented the GOP candidate from leaving a message on their phone machine. She said that she would welcome speaking to Jolly, but that she and her husband are strongly opposed to privatizing Social Security.
"I don't want privatization of Social Security because I'd feel that we lose control of it and we've already had the experience of having our investments go down 40 percent [since the 2008 financial crash]," Mrs. Snedecker told CL when asked what she would say to Jolly if he had made contact. "So when they talk about taking that money and putting it into the market, we don't want to take that chance. That's why we're saying what we said."
She added, "I'd be glad to talk to him, but this is the position that both my husband and I have taken and we feel relieved that they won't touch Social Security and Medicare because we depend on it. We're in our 80s, so...."
Although Jolly has said that when it comes to entitlement reform "everything should be on the table,"including "private accounts in which workers made their own investment decisions," he has also said that Washington needs to protect the promises that have been made to seniors.
Snedecker is treasurer of the Largo/Mid Pinellas Democratic Club. She says that club president Rich Piper, knowing that she and her husband were both Social Security recipients, recommended them when a Maryland-based group contacted him seeking participants in the ad.
The 30-second spot was produced by the House Majority PAC (a third-party group working to get Democrats elected to the House this year) and has been airing seemingly nonstop in recent days.
"I spoke with people in church today who came up and said, 'Don't get a big head.' I said I'm trying to be humble," Mrs. Snedecker said laughing. "I can't believe it! It's on so many stations. People said they saw it on Fox 13. Or on ESPN. I said, Really? I guess it's gone viral."
The Jolly campaign did not respond to our request for comment. On Saturday Jolly said, "I understand we might have a different view of this, but I at least wanted to reach out and have a conversation."