This isn't about "pragmatists" vs "idealists" on the left, this is bigger than all of us. Please recognize that when considering where all of America is today. Not that I am a better arbiter than you may be, that's just how I see it outside of this Democratic blog.
And I can see it coming already, on one hand the GOP insults OWS activists, on the other hand they are quietly trying to co-opt our message and turn this whole thing into a "blame Obama-fest".
Because we all know from day one that the GOP decided they would be a do-nothing congress during Obama's first term so they could lay the blame of the 2008 market collapse at the feet of President Obama. The GOP is counting on everyone blaming Obama and Obama alone for the mess they helped create.
Don't blame Wall Street. Blame Obama.
Don't blame Wall Street. Blame the Government and Obama.
Don't blame Wall Street or Republicans. Blame the Government and Obama.
Republicans who voted down every reform Obama offered so they can have more tax cuts for the rich would just LOVE IT if OWS became a liberal bash Obama-fest.
But OccupyWallStreet is NOT liberal, it is American. It is moderate and independent and a little liberal and a little libertarian, but overall it is American.
American first.
But since the GOP and Fox News can not wholly own it, they must destroy it.
More below the fold . . .
The GOP wants to divide OWS activists and pit them against Obama supporters, thus turning off Democrats and Independents who might be supportive of OccupyWallStreet's pro-working class anti-corporate special interest message and vice versa. This is a classic "divide and conquer" tactic. The goal is to destroy anything that doesn't support Republicans, and this tactic usually works.
Now, I have said it before and I will say it again, I will NOT allow either party to co-opt OccupyWallStreet, neither Democrat or Republican, because our problem lies within the corrupt two party system, but at the same time, I must admit, that there is a good chance that if we play our cards right we can force the Democratic party to actually fight for working class people the way they are supposed to. There is no chance of that ever happening with the GOP. None. Zero. Zilch.
I have accepted the fact that many Fox News viewers are a lost cause. They represent the pro-1% wing of the 99%, and they keep voting to screw themselves and the rest of the 99% because Fox News told them that everything that is not conservative is Hitler, so I'm not too worried about losing the potential support of the die-hard Fox viewers.
But I am concerned about losing the support of sensible people in the middle ranges of American politics, those of us who are neither the far left or the far right, people who don't hate Obama with a passion, people who will not support Obama no matter what he does, people who might support him or would at least pressure him with constructive criticism to do the right thing for millions of working class Americans. These are the people that OccupyWallStreet risks losing if they allow themselves to become an anti-Obama fest. Corporate Republicans (and the Corporate Democrats who love them) would be thrilled if OWS began to focus on protesting Obama fundraisers while ignoring the real problems such as America's corrupt campaign finance system, growing income inequality and the sordid business practices in America's boardrooms that haven't changed a bit since the crash of 2008.
So let's keep our eyes on the prize, people. The goals of OccupyWallStreet, as I see them, are larger than just one session of congress or one election. Winning an election is not the goal, but neither should we allow the bad guys to win one either because we we're so busy at each others throats that they managed again to have their way (and yes, I'm calling the Wall Street conservatives who call me a dirtbag the bad guys, though they are not alone in this regard.)
The GOP is a wholly owned subsidiary of the wealthiest 1%, and for far too long the Dem Establishment has been their willing partner in crime. I say that we should SHIFT FOCUS, away from the Presidency and over to Congress and Wall Street, the corrupt Houses of Boehner and Reid and the corporate boardrooms that bribe our politicians. Yes, we should protest fundraisers, all the fundraisers, including President Obama's, but we must be vigilant and make sure that we do not allow the GOP to co-opt OccupyWallStreet and turn it into a "blame Obama-fest", because that's exactly what Wall Street lobbyists would want.
Tips and flames for my humble thoughts on this matter . . . .
Cheers, and peace and love to all
You can follow me on twitter while you still can @JesseLaGreca