Occupy Me?
2011-10-17 - by
The Occupy Wall Street/Washington/Raleigh/etc. protests are a classic example of a political movement that the general public may agree with, at least on some level, but not find agreeable.
In politics, as in physics, every action generates a reaction. The Tea Party movement powered Republicans to victory in 2010, but may drag them to defeat in 2012. See this year’s Wake school board elections.
Middle America is mad – at big government and big business. But Middle America is put off by extremists – on both sides.
The risk with the Occupy movement is even greater than with the Tea Party. Simple reason: age and appearance. Tea Partiers look like Middle America – middle-aged with spreading middles. The Occupy protesters, younger and hairier, run the risk of looking like anarchists and Europeans.
It’s like the Vietnam era. Many Americans didn’t like the war, but they liked the protesters even less.
Democratic politicians who cozy up to the Occupy protests run the same risks as the Republicans who got too close to the Tea Party – and now can’t escape.
Occupy Me?
2011-10-17/
The Occupy Wall Street/Washington/Raleigh/etc. protests are a classic example of a political movement that the general public may agree with, at least on some level, but not find agreeable.
In politics, as in physics, every action generates a reaction. The Tea Party movement powered Republicans to victory in 2010, but may drag them to defeat in 2012. See this year’s Wake school board elections.
Middle America is mad – at big government and big business. But Middle America is put off by extremists – on both sides.
The risk with the Occupy movement is even greater than with the Tea Party. Simple reason: age and appearance. Tea Partiers look like Middle America – middle-aged with spreading middles. The Occupy protesters, younger and hairier, run the risk of looking like anarchists and Europeans.
It’s like the Vietnam era. Many Americans didn’t like the war, but they liked the protesters even less.
Democratic politicians who cozy up to the Occupy protests run the same risks as the Republicans who got too close to the Tea Party – and now can’t escape.