AP-GfK Poll: 37 percent of public back protests

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By LAURIE KELLMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) - Most Americans say politics makes them angry. But that doesn't mean there is wide support for the Wall Street protests against the nation's power brokers.

The latest Associated Press-GfK poll shows that 37 percent of people do back the protests that have spread from New York to cities across the country. It's one of the first snapshots of how the public views the "Occupy Wall Street" movement.

But more Americans - 58 percent - say they are furious about the country's politics than did in January, when 49 percent said they felt that way.

Nearly nine in 10 say they are frustrated with politics and nearly the same say they are disappointed.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20111021/D9QGRFE01.html

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Mike McCabe, 19, a student at Ithaca College gestures while holding a sign at the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park, Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

[Roland99]

1. 37%?! That's it? United States of Apathetica

[sinkingfeeling]

2. We need something to wake up people.

[Roland99]

6. ain't gonna happen until the REAL economic collapse happens.

At that point, Medicare won't matter. Soc Sec won't matter. Deficits won't matter. Only survival.

[Liberalynn]

3. People who I have talked to

Don't really understand what its about or what the group hopes to accomplish. I find it pretty basic myself in terms of what it is about but I do my best to explain it patiently and in a way that I think might foster support like the whole CitiBank forclosure debacle and the questionable behavior of the SC in ruling that corporations are "citizens i.e. people".

It's harder to explain how the Occupy Movement will change things like that, or even if it will change things at all. I mean I want to hope it will, but am afraid to hope it will because so much of the public is brainwashed into clinging to the status quo.

I just read in the paper that a Unitarian Church Group though is going to start an Occupy movement where I live. I hope to be able to join in at some point.

[Badsam]

4. i wonder how many of those that voting even understand what is going on?

[99th_Monkey]

5. I've been hearing about polls showing 57-58% support for OWS. MMoore sez it too. nt

[0rganism]

7. yeah, i wonder if this is an outlier or if support is really tailing off

a week or two ago, IIRC, support was around 70%... maybe it's time for the OWS camps to cash in and move on?

[thucythucy]

8. Some people seem discouraged by this.

I don't know whether this poll is accurate or not, or if support for OWS is rising or falling.

But I doubt 37% of the general public supported the March on Washington when it happened in 1963, let alone SNCC sit-ins or Freedom Summer. I highly doubt if 37% of the public supported demonstrations against the Vietnam War in 1965-68. In fact, I tend to doubt George Washington at Valley Forge had 37% support among the colonists.

Contrary to our exalted self-image as inveterate rebels and non-conformists, I think the majority of Americans are generally uncomfortable with street protests of any sort, especially those not funded by a cabal of billionaires or supported by the mass media.

So I don't see this as discouraging news at all. And I can't say enough about the courageous people who are out there day after day. If nothing else, they've demonstrated to themselves they're capable of amazing things, and no matter what the polls say, I can't keep myself from feeling optimistic about that.