[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Daradon

^^^ (Cowperson) There was a great bit by John Oliver on the Daily Show yesterday about how a lot of the centerists don't like the protesters cause of the fringe weirdos, but support a lot of the central ideas and just wish some normal people would go out and seize the day. Join the protest and put out a more moderate cohesive message. And control those damn radicals! The funny thing is, normal centrists, don't go out and protest, they just sit on message boards and talk about better ways to do it without actually doing anything.
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"The Silent Majority" . . . . first coined by Richard Nixon.

Nixon along with many others saw this group of Middle Americans as being overshadowed in the media by the more vocal minority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_majority

You and Occupy Wall St., of course, are "the more vocal minority."

Everyone tries to claim The Silent Majority is on their side. You're nothing new in that regard.

In this case, the coming weeks will see the truth or fiction of that. As I said, its nice to spread to a bunch of different locations and get the local vocal minority out . . . . . but you'll need to inspire thousands and tens of thousands - in each of those locations - to visibly join you before it would look convincing.

Obama can read the Hill poll I posted above just as easily as anyone else - reflecting the views of The Silent Majority - and his team will also be watching the visible numbers.

Occupy Wall St really isn't that impressive . . . . . but it could be. I'm doubting the momentum though because the general public has already been exposed to the comments from the wingnut fringe, the veritable first impression. Its not a good one. It looks like its populated by the illiterate minority.

I will open a bag of popcorn and sit back and wait to see what happens. Just like everyone else. It will only take a few weeks to see which way the momentum is going.

Lastly, I would hardly consider a Time poll scientific, I was just using the example to illustrate that the movement is resonating with people and has a lot more steam than some people think it has

Time is perfectly capable of doing a scientific poll. You used it for a context it probably wasn't meant for. I narrowed it down for you with The Hill poll.

Still, there are many examples of corporations that have acted irresponsibly, even illegally and have either gotten away from it, or gotten the tiniest of slaps on the wrist. People will be mad and they're going to direct it somewhere. When you said, you can't blame the lions if you opened the cage it is apt, and does have merit, but it's horribly oversimplifying the problem and the responsibilities of those involved.

I noted above and elsewhere fines and penalties are being handed out left and right where wrong doing is found.

However, your group wants revenge on individuals. Perp walks have happened before on Wall St, including coming out of the bubbles bursting in 1987, 2000 and now 2008 so its not like it hasn't happend before. However, if you want more perp walks than normal in bubble-bursting environments, you have to talk to your politicians about changing laws . . . . . just like most Americans understand via The Hill polling.

Cowperson