NP - OWS is Winning

[Joseph Tracy]

> “They’re having an impact on what the American people think of capitalism.”
   This is important because it reveals how dependent the Republican( Fox) liberal capitalist(NY Times) and non-confrontational and  conformist (NPR)media are on excluding messages they don't want people to think about. We are in a culture where things become real by occupying public attention. That was why the Occupiers had a breakthrough that many larger actions have not had. By not leaving and by not being easily categorized and dismissed they have scared the conservative machine and forced attention to their concerns. By carrying so many cameras and being consistently non-violent they have shown the police as the primary misbehavers so it is hard to dismiss them as destructive troublemakers. 

They have also chosen a battleground( Shift of wealth, bank bailouts) where 80% of the public had strong misgivings and anger. Another thing has happened. If you are sympathetic to the protestors on their key issues, you now know that there is a good solid 1/3rd of citizens who share your feelings and a majority on several  issues, and that you might have more power than you thought. I think they have done great service to our chances for change. Democracy Now, Alternet, Michael Moore and the other progressive media voices are growing in popularity also and giving OWS a nuanced and thorough coverage.

On Dec 1, 2011, at 4:54 PM, David Morris wrote:

> http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/luntzs_occupy_advice033837.php
> 
> The Occupy protests seem to have captured the attention of one of the
> top Republican pollsters — and they’ve scared the hell out of him.
> Chris Moody has a terrific report on this today.
> 
> The Republican Governors Association met this week in Florida to give
> GOP state executives a chance to rejuvenate, strategize and
> team-build. But during a plenary session on Wednesday, one question
> kept coming up: How can Republicans do a better job of talking about
> Occupy Wall Street?
> 
> “I’m so scared of this anti-Wall Street effort. I’m frightened to
> death,” said Frank Luntz, a Republican strategist and one of the
> nation’s foremost experts on crafting the perfect political message.
> “They’re having an impact on what the American people think of
> capitalism.”
> 
> Luntz’s research includes “a pretty striking concession.”
> 
> This longtime GOP pollster, adviser, and messaging expert is admitting
> that the Dem push for tax hikes on the rich has Republicans on the
> defensive, and that Republicans need to come up with a better way of
> obscuring what Dems are trying to achieve on the issue. He’s also
> admitting that the public isn’t inclined to believe Republicans
> represent the interests of the middle class.
> 
> No wonder Republicans are so worried they’re losing the message war
> over jobs and the economy — they are losing.