Majority Of Americans Say They're Aware Of Occupy Wall Street Protests: Poll

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A strong majority of Americans are aware of the ``Occupy Wall Street'' protests against U.S. economic inequality and a majority either view them favorably or do not have an opinion about them, a Reuters/Ipsos poll said Wednesday.

Eighty-two percent of Americans have heard of the protest movement, and 38 percent feel favorably toward it, the poll found. Thirty-five percent are undecided, and about one-fourth -- 24 percent -- are unfavorable.

Ipsos research director Chris Jackson said the large number of people who were positive or undecided reflected the mood of the country.

``People are just sort of angry,'' he said. ``They aren't necessarily sure what they are angry about, and the protest captures that to a certain extent.''

U.S. Democrats and Republicans were equally familiar with the protests, at 84 percent and 82 percent, respectively, but only 73 percent of independents were aware.

But their views are sharply divided by party. Fifty-one percent of Democrats viewed the protests favorably, versus just 11 percent who saw them unfavorably. Among independents, 37 percent had a positive view, compared with 14 percent who felt negative.

Just 22 percent of Republicans said they had a favorable view, compared with 44 percent who were unfavorable.

According to Occupy Together, which has become an online hub for protest activity, the Occupy Wall Street movement has sparked rallies in more than 1,300 cities throughout the United States and around the world.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,113 adults, including 934 registered voters, was conducted Oct. 6-10. It surveyed 536 Democrats, 410 Republicans and 167 independents.

The margin of error was 3.0 percentage points for all respondents, 3.2 points for registered voters, 4.2 points for Democrats, 4.8 points for Republicans and 7.6 points for independents. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

 

 

Comments

[hatenomor]

04:06 PM on 10/13/2011

The Flea Bagger Movement is a joke.

[SueMVetforObama2]

12:41 PM on 10/13/2011

DC. has extended the permit for Freedom Plaza for 4 months.

[webwzrd]

11:07 AM on 10/13/2011

Interestingly, these polls show that the OWS movement is already more highly favored than the Tea Party. This is very encouraging.

What I hope is that the myriad reasons the protesters are currently expressing at some point will boils down to what to me is the mother of all our evils, which is our present system of legalized bribery in elections and lobbying. Politicians spend most of their time fundraising for the next election, and the issues of large individual campaign contributors far outweigh those of the voters at large. Once in, lobbyists get most of their time, lavish them with perks and have their full attention, while the rest of us have to picket outside their offices to have our issues heard.

If elections were solely financed with government funds, WE ALL would be the contributors and the Koch brothers, Karl Rove, George Soros, the Unions, or whichever rich guy or corporation could not just outright buy an election result and hence our government for their own purpose.

So if it were my movement, the goal would be ending the rampant corruption through government financed fair elections, lobby reform (including regulator/industry revolving doors) and ending the insane concept of personhood for corporations.

This is not a liberal or conservative issue. This is about preserving our democracy and a government by the people for the people.

[flossophy]

05:00 PM on 10/13/2011

But the OWS protesters will reflexively vote for more Big Government. 

This is antithetical to preserving our democracy.

[baileywick]

06:53 PM on 10/13/2011

I think the Supreme Corp deciding GWB as pres and the Citizens United case IS the end of democracy.
It is called fas cism now.

[gDogMan]

08:48 PM on 10/13/2011

If it takes more government to keep financial profiteers from bankrupting us and destroying our country, I want more government. I am not prepared to acceept a second class future for my grand children because we as a people got ripped off for 14 trillion dollars by people who have connections. If all 50 states' AGs can't get the money back and put some of the racketeers behind bars, we'd be better off banning banking and investment managing for profit and managing the capital we create without them.

Remember, we license these institutions. They may operate indepently for profit, but we decide whether or not they can participate in business that puts our country at risk.

Democracy is about THE PEOPLE, not the private institutions they license to profit from the market they have created. America is about more than the freedom to rig the system for the benefit of a few.

[dad4lifesl]

11:05 AM on 10/13/2011

Gotta love protesters­...

http://www­.mrctv.org­/videos/wh­o-are-occu­py-dc-prot­esters

[webwzrd]

12:50 PM on 10/13/2011

You can keep your right wing website links for another audience. Thank you.

The fact that you had to state that you're supposedly educated and heterosexual indicates that you see that as something exceptional. Interesting.

[dad4lifesl]

02:13 PM on 10/13/2011

I have been keeping count of the liberals who have something to say about my micro-bio, you are number 57. My bio is meant to be satirical, I observed others saying things like black lesbian liberal etc. and I was just having a little fun.

[dad4lifesl]

02:19 PM on 10/13/2011

Iread and listen to the opposite point of view, I consider it a learning experience...

[webwzrd]

12:51 PM on 10/13/2011

or maybe you're neither.....

[dad4lifesl]

02:11 PM on 10/13/2011

neither?

[Must I Repeat Myself]

10:20 AM on 10/13/2011

I can't! This is odd...but I am sure(no proof...but a hunch) that ANYONE with a computer/smartphone/TV/buried under a ROCK...is "familiar" with these protesests...it is GLOBAL!! Moreso.....EVERYONE here know that EVERY POLITICIAN IN THE WORLD/EVEN THINKING ABOUT RUNNING...is familiar with these protests. C'MON MAN!! What kind of reporting/poll parroting before they finish garbage is this? See if I get Pendinged off the thread.

[Guest211]

08:46 AM on 10/13/2011

Did anyone see the video of the Occupy Socialism "protester" who said he wanted the Banks nationalized.

Then the interviewer asked him would you want the Banks nationalized in a Republican administration? To which his dazed and confused mouth face finally uttered "uhm..... no"

I swear, this is the best comedy I've seen in years.

[hurried harry2]

09:00 AM on 10/13/2011

About as funny as that tea party protester in Cleveland who said he wanted no more taxes, but then said he doesn't pay any, because he's on disability.

[webwzrd]

12:34 PM on 10/13/2011

No but I did see many huge amounts of Tea Partiers waving signs like "Get your socialist hands off my MEDICARE". Or course, most of them misspelled.

[Guest211]

08:33 AM on 10/13/2011

If anyone needs a good laugh this AM, see James O'Keefe's video of him walking through the Occupy Socialism "protest" dressed as an investment banker.

Roll around on the floor funny.

[Rodger leMonde]

03:37 PM on 10/13/2011

Just another pimp costume.

[Guest211]

08:20 AM on 10/13/2011

So after working on their demands for weeks, the "protesters" have finally summarized things. Knowing they were all over the map, they felt a short list would be best communicated to the simple masses. As such, their entire list was narrowed to only two core beliefs. First: no more bathing. Second: gimme, gimme, gimme.

[hurried harry2]

08:48 AM on 10/13/2011

I know how badly you wish this were true, but the protests have attracted and have the support of people from all ages, races and education levels. People of all backgrounds have been thrown out of work by the corporate and government corruption. Many people who have worked for decades to now find themselves without any job prospects or having to accept half the wages they earned previously are in support of this movement. It may be that more young people have time to attend the protests for longer periods of time as they don't yet have families, but make no mistake - this movement is supported by many types of people.

[Rodger leMonde]

03:43 PM on 10/13/2011

What possible reason do you have for such a puerile irrelevant comment?
The system has been on the gimme principle for ages and you are fine with that, but when people want control of the system to work for people it is a bad thing. Curious, how strange and sad that is.

[eyeitall]

08:15 AM on 10/13/2011

Capitalism is what made this country great and I have yet to hear a better alternative.

[Guest211]

08:17 AM on 10/13/2011

Couldn't agree more

[hurried harry2]

08:51 AM on 10/13/2011

It's not really capitalism when the banks are bailed out though is it.

[Guest211]

08:52 AM on 10/13/2011

Were the Unions bailed out?

When do we start to Occupy them?

Oh, thats right...... they're Lib.

Never mind

[nancytheragingliberal]

08:12 AM on 10/13/2011

Well, it is about darn time. What took so long? I'm going to march, march, march and I don't care if they take my placard, taze my body, drag me off to jail in handcuffs. Wait, how about dragging away the greedy, filthy thieves on Wall St. who pulled off the greatest heist of the American people in history? Explain to me why not one of them has been tried and sent to jail. I would like to scream in Holder's, no affect, face and I'm paying? Him? He looks the other way and does nothing, just what his boss, the pres and his cabinet expect him to do. Corporatists sitting my WH. This is not what I voted for 'no hope, no change'. Outrageous.

[cilantro518]

11:14 AM on 10/13/2011

Bill Clinton, savvy politician that he is, said: "The Occupy Wall Street crowd basically is saying, 'I'm unemployed and the people that caused this have their jobs again and their bonuses again and their incomes are high again. There's something wrong with this country. This is not working for me'".

Translated: The people that caused this are not in jail. In fact, they are being rewarded while the innocent are being punished. There's something wrong with this country.

[Guest211]

08:10 AM on 10/13/2011

For all you anti-capitalist Libs....

There are over 1,200 "Occupy Wall Street" items for sale on ebay.

HA !!

;)

[blurredmolly]

08:14 AM on 10/13/2011

who's anti-capitalist?

[Guest211]

08:15 AM on 10/13/2011

uhm.....

Have you bothered to watch literally ANY of the video of these dirty hippies?

[webwzrd]

12:27 PM on 10/13/2011

Only a dum@zz wuld think that lberals are by and large against capitalism. We are, however, for common sense and democracy, not a nation of slaves ruled by corporations and the rich.

We value DEMOCRACY. Not OLIGARCHY. Look it up amoeba.

[vonPinto]

08:09 AM on 10/13/2011

CONservative confuse GREED for CAPITALISM.

See why EDUCATION (real) MATTERS?

[Donna Lieb]

08:11 AM on 10/13/2011

Education from the left? No thanks! Really have to talk to the school district and change what they are filling the oatmeal heads with!

[Guest211]

08:14 AM on 10/13/2011

There a video online of an Occupy Socialism protester who states she got her socialist beliefs from 3 people...

1) A college professor
2) Her best friend in prison
3) A professor in graduate school

[blurredmolly]

08:15 AM on 10/13/2011

for instance?

[Guest211]

08:07 AM on 10/13/2011

One thing we can all agree on.....

The Police have done such a great job.

Well done !!

[Small Axe]

08:11 AM on 10/13/2011

Are you referring to Tommy salami .....

or tony bologna?

[Guest211]

08:12 AM on 10/13/2011

The Police.

To Protect and Serve

You know... them.

[webwzrd]

12:26 PM on 10/13/2011

You mean those unionized Police officers, along with firefighters and teachers that criticize Obama for baling out?

For the most part, they have done a great job, except when pepper spraying and manhandling people for no apparent reason on video.

In places like Washington DC and Portland Oregon, police are actually MARCHING with protesters.

How does it feel to be on the wrong side of everything?

[vonPinto]

08:04 AM on 10/13/2011

OCCUPY THE ATROPHIED BRAINS OF CONservatives!!!

[Guest211]

08:05 AM on 10/13/2011

Hey Lib,

Capitalism: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

[blurredmolly]

08:15 AM on 10/13/2011

Hey CON. up

[Guest211]

08:16 AM on 10/13/2011

crickets......crickets......crickets.....

[SueMVetforObama2]

08:01 AM on 10/13/2011

RedState avers that Mitt Romney is not the man to take on OWS or Wall Street.