Occupy Wall Street Gains Measured Support From Some Republican Candidates

HANOVER, N.H. -- As the Occupy Wall Street protests have gathered steam and spread across the country, gaining popular support and an increase in media attention, Republican presidential candidates who were once hostile toward the movement have begun speaking more positively about it.

Herman Cain, who initially told Americans taking to the streets to protest income inequality and joblessness that they had no one to blame but themselves, later changed his tune, arguing that the protesters should instead blame the Obama administration for the high unemployment rate.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who at first called the protests “dangerous” and “class warfare," sounded a different note Monday at a campaign stop in New Hampshire. “I worry about the 99 percent in America," he said, before adding later in the day: "I understand how those people feel."

And on Tuesday, during a meeting at a retirement center here in Hanover, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman expressed a measure of support for the movement as well.

"I have to say, much of what they are talking about, some of what they are talking about I think many Americans would be in some harmony with -- and that is trillions of trillions of dollars that have been spent, they have disappeared and we have seen nothing for it," Huntsman said. "We have seen no uplift in terms of economic performance. We have seen no improvement in the unemployment rate."

Speaking to The Huffington Post after his talk, Huntsman expanded on the sentiment.

"There is angst, and there is anger, and there is frustration, in large measure because of the trillions that was spent to little effect," he said. "There is a lot out there that people on all ends of politics are very angry and concerned about."

Huntsman's words hardly qualify as a full-throated endorsement of Occupy Wall Street, like the one made by Republican presidential candidate and former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer, who traveled from New Hampshire to New York on Tuesday to speak with the protesters gathered in lower Manhattan. But they reflect one of the most basic truths of a political campaign -- that it is better to align oneself with an increasingly popular movement than to malign it.

 

 

Comments

[The Fosz]

01:43 PM on 10/15/2011

I never thought of the Republican Party as Fascism/Nazi Party, but your right. Fascism as the Republicans will only put their governments effort into nonproductive things such as war. If it is fighting another country or fighting its own people the results in always counter productive to society as whole.

[The Fosz]

01:05 PM on 10/15/2011

Would you really trust the hidden face of the Republican Party?

[cybersleuth58]

06:14 PM on 10/14/2011

So, the rats are deserting a sinking ship? Is this a sign that change might be in the air?

[The Fosz]

01:06 PM on 10/15/2011

Have you ever seen a horse change colors?

[Scott Berrian]

03:45 AM on 10/14/2011

For some reason, I feel like I just read about senators in Rome commenting about the barbarians at the gates. Why is this?

[cybersleuth58]

06:15 PM on 10/14/2011

NERO fiddled while Rome burned.

[The Fosz]

01:08 PM on 10/15/2011

Wow, I like this! Time does repeat itself. Just a different place, a different time.

[DazedandConfused]

07:33 PM on 10/12/2011

Two of the funniest moments from the GOP campaign so far (and there have been a lot of them) included Romney.
The first was when Romney included himself as part of the middle class. He did the "us" thing with a wave of his hand. (In reality, he really meant to "wave" to his subjects.)
The second was when he said that his tax plan was designed to benefit the middle class because the elimination of capital gains taxes and the estate tax would allow the middle class to gain wealth. How many people in the middle class gain wealth via gains in stock holdings or estate inheritance? Truly hysterical.

[kmarler]

06:41 PM on 10/12/2011

OCTOBER 15 RALLIES FROM ALL OVER NYC CONVERGE IN TIMES SQUARE: http://vimeo.com/30456863

[blackhawaiian]

05:57 PM on 10/12/2011

The one thing that politicians have in common, regardless of party is, they're all butt kissers. They don't want to offend the Wall St crowd, because the movement may become popular. All republicans have to do is explain their change of heart, to the teabaggers.

[The Fosz]

01:13 PM on 10/15/2011

Once a Tea Bagger always a Tea Bagger. Or is the "Carpet Baggers?" Just a different place in time.

[CarlyQ]

05:53 PM on 10/12/2011

This is probably a sign the "other side" knows it's going to be war soon and are aligning themselves with what they believe is going to be the winning team.

[The Fosz]

01:16 PM on 10/15/2011

As the American way of life is destroyed for the middle class by the people that have (The Republicans) and the people that don't have (us the people) great political change is forthcoming.

[blackhawaiian]

05:52 PM on 10/12/2011

The difference between the two groups is, the Wall St. group aren't wearing Halloween costumes, and funny hats.

[The Fosz]

01:20 PM on 10/15/2011

They wear their $10k black suits and white silk shirts. Their clothing cost more for one day of wear than the average family of 4 would spend on food for an entire year!

[peterlisbon]

05:38 PM on 10/12/2011

Huntsman is the only honorable Republican in this race. It's a shame he can't break above the 2% mark because he deserves better -- not my choice, but a decent and smart man nevertheless

[blackhawaiian]

05:54 PM on 10/12/2011

His problem is that he's a republican, who is sane, logical, intelligent, and reasonable. He has all of the traits, that republicans despise.

[peterlisbon]

12:23 PM on 10/13/2011

Exactly and I still remember when there were a few like him -- about as common as the Iberian lynx

[cybersleuth58]

06:19 PM on 10/14/2011

Sadly, honorable republican is now an oxymoron.

[kanook67]

05:04 PM on 10/12/2011

Bush gave big tax cuts for the wealthy "Job Creators". These "Job Creator's" took this windfall and created millions of new jobs.......oops!!! my bad. The "Job Creators" actually started laying off workers at the rate of 700,000 per month as George (Herbert Hoover) Bush's parting gift to the country!

Is there anyone out there who still believes in the "Job Creators" myth?? (The opinions of Sarah Palin or Joe the Plumber don't count)

And you wonder why there's protests in the streets !!!!

[BBQribsNOnapkin]

05:01 PM on 10/12/2011

HAHAHA LMFAO! Nothing says, "Hi! I'm a f*****g moron!" more than saying, "Hi! I'm a Tea Party Patriot!"

[wetbonder]

04:27 PM on 10/12/2011

And watch this kid explain Occupy Wall St.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wrPGoPFRUdc

[legalclubs]

04:12 PM on 10/12/2011

The irony of course is that the Tea Party people, supposedly consisting of the far right, and Occupy Wall Street people, supposedly the far left, actually have the very same complaints. They don't like the bailouts. Yes there thinking about why they don't like the bailouts differs and the Tea Party people are a bit more broad based in terms of which bailouts they don't like (they don't like the corporate bailouts, but are also against the state bailouts, which the Occupy people never mention), but their opposition is the same.

Whatever the case, I can guarantee you that the Democrats in charge in the Senate (Dodd & Schummer) who have to approve any changes with respect to Wall Street, are never going to give into the demands of the Occupy people.

[The Fosz]

01:24 PM on 10/15/2011

The bailout of the banks would be equivalent to providing every home owner in America one year of free mortgage payments.

[bhawkes328]

04:11 PM on 10/12/2011

LETS ALL SEND THE GOV. AN EXTRA 500.00 IN JAN......