Occupy Voters

I was thinking today about Occupy Wall Street. I suppose it was inevitable to think of them since I live 5 minutes from their home base in the Financial District in New York City. I understand their purpose. I understand their problems full-heartedly. I understand their desire and want for their voices to be heard on a large and small scale.

I also suppose I haven’t given them the time of day- for me they are the occasional blockaders of the Brooklyn Bridge and the every so often traffic jammers on Broadway marching up Chamber’s street.

But clearly, the movement and their message are reaching other cities in the country after a month of protesting in New York. Mark Landler of the New York Times wrote an article on their message in front of the White House in Washington D.C. about a week ago.

His article got me to see their protestors not as angry middle class, but as a completely ignored ‘demographic’ for the presidential candidates. Specifically for President Obama, this is a huge opportunity to win a great number of votes and backing from people who are disappointed in his policy. I believe he recognizes that speaking to the Occupy Wall Street marchers is a way to steal votes from the Republicans, and gain back people who may have originally supported him in the 2008 election.

The article mentions that Obama has been known to be the “defender of the middle class”.  What also can bring a great support of voters to the Democratic Party this coming election lays in the labor unions that had marched with the Anti- Wall Street protesters.

 Landler writes that “the decision by organized labor to join the demonstrations has given them an extra jolt of numbers and credibility, since unions have historically played an important, but waning role, in mobilizing voters on the left. ‘There’s been a lot of talk about how the progressive base is demobilized,’ said Robert Creamer, a longtime organizer for progressive causes. “Not only do I believe this will inspire the progressive base, the same way that Tunisia inspired Egypt, but President Obama has framed up the issues perfectly.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/us/politics/occupy-wall-street-protests-offer-obama-opportunity-and-threats.html)

Despite sparking a flame in potential supports, Obama has yet to keep the flame lit and completely gain the movement’s trust. Based off of his current term, many of the protesters claim that Obama hasn’t done enough to correct the problems they are fighting, which have been in the American economic system for quite some time. They criticize his bail out plan for banks, and leaving the people in the dark. Though the movement party was not looking to be associated with a political party, analysts say that if Obama takes a new perspective for this outlook on the 2012 presidency, he can gain a good support of passionate, and justice hungry supporters.