As protests aimed at shaming Wall Street continued near New York's
financial heart, they raised a tantalizing prospect for beleaguered
liberals: Their side may, unexpectedly, be witnessing the
redefinition of a coming election year that was supposed to be all
about an "enthusiasm gap" for Democrats against charged-up
Republicans.
President Obama, asked at a White House news conference Thursday whether the Occupy Wall Street movement had potential as a tea party for the left, ducked the question. But his vice president, characteristically, didn't mince words, and drew a direct connection between the two ideologically disparate protests.
The new movement, which has spread from
President Obama, asked at a White House news conference Thursday whether the Occupy Wall Street movement had potential as a tea party for the left, ducked the question. But his vice president, characteristically, didn't mince words, and drew a direct connection between the two ideologically disparate protests.
The new movement, which has spread from
Manhattan
to other cities, has "a lot in common with the tea party," Vice
President Joe Biden said, speaking across town at a forum sponsored by
the Atlantic magazine. Both, he said, grew out of a profound sense
that the political system was badly out of whack. "We were bailing out
the big guys" in the financial community, he said, while failing to fix
the problems of hard-pressed, ordinary Americans.
Photos: The Occupy LA protest
Tea party voters have proved to be a decidedly mixed blessing for Republicans. They helped defeat Democratic candidates in 2010 but now are pulling GOP presidential candidates to the right in a way that may prove problematic in next year's general election. Some Democratic strategists see a similar threat to their efforts to woo middle-of-the-road voters if Democrats
Photos: The Occupy LA protest
Tea party voters have proved to be a decidedly mixed blessing for Republicans. They helped defeat Democratic candidates in 2010 but now are pulling GOP presidential candidates to the right in a way that may prove problematic in next year's general election. Some Democratic strategists see a similar threat to their efforts to woo middle-of-the-road voters if Democrats
get too close to a street movement with radical elements that remains highly unpredictable.
Some of the risks were evident Wednesday night, when anti-Wall Street demonstrators clashed with baton-wielding police in New York, resulting in 23 arrests and video footage of authorities using force to subdue protesters.
"You don't have to be a genius to see that you can overlay what is going on with Occupy Wall Street to energize and mobilize a Democratic base. So from that standpoint, it has enormous potential," said Steve Rosenthal, a longtime liberal strategist. "How big it gets and where it goes, I think, is anybody's guess."
At the moment, there isn't even a name for a broader movement that might evolve out of the protests. "The 99 percent" is one catchphrase used by demonstrators to contrast
themselves with the 1% of Americans at the top of the income scale.Some of the risks were evident Wednesday night, when anti-Wall Street demonstrators clashed with baton-wielding police in New York, resulting in 23 arrests and video footage of authorities using force to subdue protesters.
"You don't have to be a genius to see that you can overlay what is going on with Occupy Wall Street to energize and mobilize a Democratic base. So from that standpoint, it has enormous potential," said Steve Rosenthal, a longtime liberal strategist. "How big it gets and where it goes, I think, is anybody's guess."
At the moment, there isn't even a name for a broader movement that might evolve out of the protests. "The 99 percent" is one catchphrase used by demonstrators to contrast
Distinctions are drawn by liberals about the origins of the anti-Wall Street drive, which they say is more spontaneous and authentic than a tea party movement that was boosted into existence by Fox News, a favored news source for conservatives. Another difference: Tea party followers were sharply focused on
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