»» Columnists

New Poll Shows Occupy Wall Street Protests Waning In Popularity

by Tommy Christopher | 3:22 pm, November 16th, 2011

» 41 comments

Now well into its third month, the Occupy Wall Street movement has achieved a worldwide cultural significance unseen since the Vietnam War, but according to a new survey by Public Policy Polling, the appeal of the protests seems to be wearing thin with Americans. Their favorability has only decreased slightly in the poll, from 35% in October to 33% now, but those opposed to OWS have increased from 36% to 45% in that time.

Detractors of the Occupiers will likely greet this poll as gleeful evidence that incidents of violence around the protests have begun to define the movement, while its proponents will blame news coverage that focuses on conflicts with police and caricatures, rather than the substance of the protests.

Public Policy Polling‘s Tom Jensen encompasses both of those views in his assessment:

I don’t think the bad poll numbers for Occupy Wall Street reflect Americans being unconcerned with wealth inequality. Polling we did in some key swing states earlier this year found overwhelming support for raising taxes on people who make over $150,000 a year. In late September we found that 73% of voters supported the ‘Buffett rule’ with only 16% opposed. And in October we found that Senators resistant to raising taxes on those who make more than a million dollars a year could pay a price at the polls. I don’t think any of that has changed- what the downturn in Occupy Wall Street’s image suggests is that voters are seeing the movement as more about the ‘Occupy’ than the ‘Wall Street.’ The controversy over the protests is starting to drown out the actual message.

The flatness of the movement’s support, versus the rise in opposition, tells me that people who didn’t have an opinion before are now making their minds up about OWS. That tells me that they weren’t paying much attention before, and probably aren’t paying that much attention now. What has changed is the ubiquity of OWS reporting, which has focused a lot on clashes with police, of late. To the disengaged mind, the human tendency to crave order and conformity easily overtakes the details. If there’s a fight involving the police, the police must be right.

Whatever the reason, measuring the popularity of a protest movement sounds like a counter-intuitive activity to me. By definition, protests are designed to fight the power. If the majority of Americans were awake to what these protests signify, there would be no need for them.

Occupy Wall Street, Public Policy Polling, Tom Jensen

http://www.storminsmorningjava.blogspot.com/ stormin1961

and i’ll bet the whole thing was never popular but overhyped by the media.
Anonymous

imagine people not really being in support for thugs who destroy property, defecate on cars, urinate wherever, interrupt business on the street where they are, etc. freedom of speech is one thing. this is quite another.
RW

“while its proponents will blame news coverage that focuses on conflicts with police and caricatures, rather than the substance of the protests.”

This is a foreshadowing of the MSM’s loss of control over the message: considering the MSM kept the stories on the upbeat and avoided covering the crime and filth, new media managed to cover the OWS movement truthfully. Was OWS worth the further damage to your reputation?
Moderate

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/mallard/2000/MFT20111026.jpg

This sums it up great.
http://gawker.com/5482474/the-mysterious-case-of-toure-praising-raped-slaves-for-seducing-massa Touré’s insane mf cousin Phd

The media have performed as presstitutes for the OWS, giving them nothing but positive coverage while deliberately ignoring the rampant crime, disease and destruction they caused, but somehow the American people, despite the media negligence, have learned enough about the OWS to utterly reject them.
Moderate

You left out living in their own filth.
http://gawker.com/5482474/the-mysterious-case-of-toure-praising-raped-slaves-for-seducing-massa Touré’s insane mf cousin Phd

Here’s another good one:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RlKaHPZg8WU/Tpgy3VYiSEI/AAAAAAAAA10/j8cjOvG0ir4/s400/cartoon.jpg
http://gawker.com/5482474/the-mysterious-case-of-toure-praising-raped-slaves-for-seducing-massa Touré’s insane mf cousin Phd

Here’s another good one:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RlKaHPZg8WU/Tpgy3VYiSEI/AAAAAAAAA10/j8cjOvG0ir4/s400/cartoon.jpg
http://gawker.com/5482474/the-mysterious-case-of-toure-praising-raped-slaves-for-seducing-massa Touré’s insane mf cousin Phd

And another:

http://legalinsurrection.com/2011/11/your-corrupt-biased-mainstream-media-cartoon-of-the-day/
unmutual

How can it be that after just two short months and with effusive fawning by the mainstream media that OWS is ranked lower in popularity than the dreaded Tea Party? The Media worked overtime for 2+ years making the Tea Party out to be extremist villains.

Man the Democrats just aren’t getting the same bang for their bucks out of the media that they used to get.
Anonymous

hahahahahaha…ohhh this has to be the worst news for the lame stream media since we found out how talented slick willy was with cigars!!

I’ve got to give the lame stream credit though, they did their best to suppress all the rapes and other violence that occurred at these Democratic fabricated events!!

Most disappointed of all has to be Van Jones!!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JUT2TATEV3OHGQ7HZRYN472XVM Felix

Here’s to the idiots who thought OWS would last (and “peaceful”).
http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Larson/1589499840 Eric Larson

“Detractors of the Occupiers will likely greet this poll as gleeful evidence that incidents of violence around the protests have begun to define the movement, while its proponents will blame news coverage that focuses on conflicts with police and caricatures, rather than the substance of the protests”

What substance???????? Most of them had no idea why they were there and if they did they would have been marching on Washington as much as wall street.

Just because seven or eight protesters had some legit things to say does not mean that whole movement had a message of substance.

I am so tired of hearing “It’s just a select few who are making the OWS protesters look bad just like there where just a select few Tea Party members.” Thing is there were really only a “few” nut jobs (some were fake) but the OWS had many. MANY!!!! I would say a good 75 to 80% were there for the wrong reasons and not reason of Substance.
http://twitter.com/jtanglewood76 realist

It’s because the #OWS people don’t really do anything except yell, march and act like they are in Egypt. THey have definitely jumped the shark. What’s your demand? Fairness? No police brutality? Huh? yea, those are real good. Fairness is a goal in all of our laws and police brutality is already ilegal. These are just a bunch of bored kids who may have a legitimate gripe but can’t seem to say what the solution is and in the meantime they can’t just occupy public spaces and prevent others in the public from enjoying them.
Anonymous

Wow! OWS unpopular? I cannot see why not. After all, they are nothing but a gang of indoctrinated Socialists, Losers, left-wingers, drug dealers and users, rapists, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and fruitcakes.

Plus, their encampments have devolved into disease-infested swamps of criminal and antisocial behavior.

What’s not to be popular?
ArmyStrong619

heres where i have a problem with your analysis. I went to the occupy San Diego, and Los Angeles to get an understanding of what is going on instead of making ignorant comments like you have. I went their and I served in the military and still currently am, ive been deployed and am a veteran. I have met people who were teachers, nurses, students, unemployed people, young, old, even people who have nice paying jobs. There are different people from all walks of life their and you want to brand them ass left wingers, thugs, robbers etc. well you need to stop being ignorant, i dont play into left wing right wing crap i wouldnt consider the people their even other military people as thugs and socialists
Anonymous

First paragraph was a little over the top, but your second one was right on the mark.
Jason_in_Vegas

Nice article Tommy Boy. What color crayon did you use to scribble this pile of crap together?
Norbit

“a worldwide cultural significance unseen since the Vietnam War”.

LOL
A WHAT?

Public support for OWS is plummeting faster than Obama’s leadership credibility.

The issue was already raised with the Tea Party groups, who didn’t have to Occupy, rape, pillage or murder anyone to make a change!.
bohratom

U go Tommy. Hope to see you camping out in some crazy ows protest somewhere. Just remember to bring a good supply of deodorant and remember, dont sleep with your backside facing anyone.
Norbit

You could have seen the same thing you described at any Tea Party rally over the past two years.

You won’t find that depiction anywhere in the mainstream media, but you can view them for yourself on C-span feeds.
Norbit

Democrats are the party of corruption and smear – with a willing mainstream media to assist them getting the propaganda out.

It’s incredulous that the GOP is not running ads showing the media’s deliberate misrepresentation of the two groups!
Anonymous

“New poll shows Occupy Wall Street protests waning in popularity.”

…

“In other news, Kate Hudson is getting a breast reduction.”
Roguecowboy

16,000 murders per
year
90,000 rapes per
yearhttp://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
Roguecowboy

16,000 murders per
year
90,000 rapes per
yearhttp://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
Anonymous

Tommy is QUITE the spin doctor!
Anonymous

Yeah… you saw union typical … it is the greedy unions in CA that are bankrupting the state.. geesh of course they would want others to pay more… Hell the unions aren’t going to pay for their own pensions and HC…
Anonymous

If they are liberals… they have a mental illness. See, if the libs can’t win at the ballot box, or the courts, they then resort to demonic mobs and become dangerous. Time to take these rabid lunatics and lock them up before they hurt themselves and others. It’s out of mercy, really.
Anonymous

pisssed… I guess not everyone is a liberal Democrat…
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JUT2TATEV3OHGQ7HZRYN472XVM Felix

maybe you should choose a better group to hangout with… it is now well-documented that the OWS crowd included left wingers, thugs, robbers etc. If you all have a common “purpose”, it sure escapes the average citizen.
Anonymous

There he goes again…just another shining example of Tommy’s peculiar ability to convince himself that his 7th grade arguments are in the same league as Clarence Darrow.
BeenThereB4

Like the Army Veteran who has and is serving his country, I have chosen to inform myself by going to downtown Nashville where the Occupy encampment on Legislative Plaza has long been, and more, I have questioned multiple employees who work in the area about what the regular experience is with the protesters OWS protesters in Nashville. Contrary to the image that some governmental officials tried to paint, the folks on the street who were not related to the protests and my own observations found the protesters to be peaceful and patriotic Americans who were interested in moving this country forward for the good of ALL. Even when the young Republicans from Vanderbilt Univ. came to counterprotest, the Occupiers welcomed them, offerred them cookies, and engaged them in actual discussion of ideas. God help us as a Country if we cannot begin to come together more without spreading lies on our own country men and women, and engaging in RESPECTFUL discussions, without the need to prove which one is right or wrong, just striving for the best outcome for the WHOLE.
http://twitter.com/jtanglewood76 realist

You’re an idiot.
Cecelia

You can practically see the little tear in the eye of the media when you read these things.

Just like every nerd who was a teenager in the sixties describes himself as having done cool stuff like dropping acid on at the top of the Empire State Building or working for the Peace Corp, the media gets to picture itself as being part of the New (old) Left.

Power to the People! Down With The Man!

Of course they protrayed everyday joes protesting govt bailouts and the deficit as only a pretext for protesting the election of a black man, but what the hey…

OF COURSE, the the media would be fond of people wanting govt to have more power rather than those who don’t.. Of course they’d see a mentality of “bail ME out, taxpayers!”, as being more virtuous to the mentality of “don’t saddle my grandchildren with debt”.

Of course.
AliveStillKickin

This was bound to happen.
Once you’ve seen one person shitting in the street, you’ve seen them all.
ArmyStrong619

ok thats fair but what im trying to say is to bunch everyone together as thugs criminals etc is wrong just like it was wrong to call the Tea Party protesters racist. Everyone is their for a purpose. I only went to get an understanding of it to see what its about. The 4 times i went to check out occupy san diego and the 1 time i went to occupy LA it was not what is was made out to be, yes there are some who get out of hand and do stupid things but thats with anything. Just like with people’s religion or ethnicity there are some who are going to do things they should not.
marc

quite another in what respect? did you even read the article? you are one of the mentioned being, “asleep”. If you were informed and used rational judgement to make decisions in your life, you’d be in support of this movement also. social justice in this country will be rectified.

An opinion sure is useless if its just supported by “word of mouth”, and “gut feeling”. why dont you spend some time looking at quality sources of information instead of nodding your head yes infront of your peers. This movement is wholly popular and an honest form of patriotism more than anything has been in a very long time. more than any false war sought out to satisfy some BS defense contracts for the DOD.
marc

are you for real? tell me how someone becomes so disillusioned and misinformed in their life?
http://gawker.com/5482474/the-mysterious-case-of-toure-praising-raped-slaves-for-seducing-massa Touré’s insane mf cousin Phd

dis·il·lu·sioned

Disappointed in someone or something that one discovers to be less good than one had believed

And all this time I thought it was the OWS dopes who were disillusioned.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1199315307 Adam Oliver

This is why you won’t win. “If you don’t agree with me, you must be stupid/dumb/ignorant/asleep.” It is tough for someone with you mentality to understand that there are differing opnions in the world about everything – for example I think the majority of the morons doing OWS (Outside We Stand) couldn’t give the answer you want them to give as to why they are there.

People like me, a rational, thinking man, may agree with portions of your platform (minimally). But don’t expect me to support a bunch of overgrown children whose list of demands reads like Hugo Chavez’s wet dream.
Anonymous

It is unfortunate that there are some real economic and political issues that need to be addressed and the Occupy folks blew the opportunity. They achieved the very impressive goal of raising widespread awareness of the general frustration of the people in the first few days. Occupy then ‘grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory’ as they say. Occupy never represented the remaining 99%. Hiding behind the 1st Amendment they trashed the neighborhoods they occupied and the lives of the people who lived there. I recall a news report of a Zuccotti Park area restaurant that had to lay off a third of its staff. Although the core elements may be peaceful, it was reported that police had human waste and acetic acid thrown at them, derivative protests in Europe led to cars being set on fire, a ‘fringe’ Occupier in New York was arrested for threatening to firebomb Macy’s (how many others like this one? It just takes one). What was advertised as Occupy Black Friday was going to interfere with the freedom of the 99% to choose where we should shop by force. California dock workers were prevented from going to work. Occupy cities have accrued $13B and growing in additional police and sanitation expenses.

To be fair, let me also list Occupy actions against corporations and the government: Occupiers threw paper airplanes at the CitiCorp building that were then immediately cleaned up.

I am probably more to the right and conservative than to the left. I have suffered greatly and lost significantly in the economy of the past several years, but in spite of this I do not support the Occupy movement and its approach. They seem to be more a ‘squeaky wheel wanting to be greased’ filled with whiners that would do better to go home and invent the next iPod or Facebook. Many people I know have expressed similar thoughts that yes there are problems but the Occupy approach is ‘wrong’, ‘misguided’, etc. Hopefully the bike with the squeaky wheel will be thrown out.