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Poll: 49% of Protesters Think the Bank Bailouts Were Necessary
Reason ^ | October 18, 2011 | Matt Welch

Posted on 10/19/2011 11:40:31 PM PDT by neverdem

Some fascinating survey data from Democratic pollster Douglas Schoen:

On Oct. 10 and 11, Arielle Alter Confino, a senior researcher at my polling firm, interviewed nearly 200 protesters in New York's Zuccotti Park. Our findings probably represent the first systematic random sample of Occupy Wall Street opinion.

Our research shows clearly that the movement doesn't represent unemployed America and is not ideologically diverse. Rather, it comprises an unrepresentative segment of the electorate that believes in radical redistribution of wealth, civil disobedience and, in some instances, violence. Half (52%) have participated in a political movement before, virtually all (98%) say they would support civil disobedience to achieve their goals, and nearly one-third (31%) would support violence to advance their agenda.

The vast majority of demonstrators are actually employed, and the proportion of protesters unemployed (15%) is within single digits of the national unemployment rate (9.1%).

An overwhelming majority of demonstrators supported Barack Obama in 2008. Now 51% disapprove of the president while 44% approve, and only 48% say they will vote to re-elect him in 2012, while at least a quarter won't vote.

Fewer than one in three (32%) call themselves Democrats, while roughly the same proportion (33%) say they aren't represented by any political party.

What binds a large majority of the protesters together—regardless of age, socioeconomic status or education—is a deep commitment to left-wing policies: opposition to free-market capitalism and support for radical redistribution of wealth, intense regulation of the private sector, and protectionist policies to keep American jobs from going overseas.

Sixty-five percent say that government has a moral responsibility to guarantee all citizens access to affordable health care, a college education, and a secure retirement—no matter the cost. By a large margin (77%-22%), they support raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, but 58% oppose raising...


(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bailout; bailouts; occupy; occupywallstreet; ows; tarp
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To: neverdem

Professional left wing agitators. Nothing like the tea party was and paying them any attention as if they are some spontaneous grassroots movement is a joke.


21 posted on 10/20/2011 5:30:56 AM PDT by Soul Seeker (I will work every day to make Washington, D.C., as inconsequential in your lives as I can - Perry)
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To: neverdem

I go by there every day and want to protest these protestors but I have a frickin job...


22 posted on 10/20/2011 5:34:24 AM PDT by varyouga
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To: A Navy Vet

I am with you. Let these ill prepared and unarmed idiots go nuts. I know in my hamlet here in PA where there is a fair sprinkling of Gadsden flags around, that any BS will be kept to a minimum. Judging by the amount of gunfire in the area on any given weekend, people are getting their guns sighted and ready for such a situation. The last thing I worry about is the protesters going nuts.


23 posted on 10/20/2011 7:59:46 AM PDT by Lazlo in PA (Now living in a newly minted Red State.)
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To: neverdem
What binds a large majority of the protesters together—regardless of age, socioeconomic status or education—is a deep commitment to left-wing policies: opposition to free-market capitalism and support for radical redistribution of wealth, intense regulation of the private sector, and protectionist policies to keep American jobs from going overseas.

Sixty-five percent say that government has a moral responsibility to guarantee all citizens access to affordable health care, a college education, and a secure retirement—no matter the cost. By a large margin (77%-22%), they support raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, but 58% oppose raising...

And as evidence of the sterling success of left-wing socialist policies, let's take a look at Detroit for example....Wait... uhhhh let's go to another example, LA, Oakland, Newwark, Baltimore, Chicago, etc.....uhhhh any more questions? Discussion is over. Meeting adjourned.

24 posted on 10/20/2011 8:02:44 AM PDT by rcrngroup
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25 posted on 10/20/2011 9:25:03 AM PDT by RedMDer (Forward With Confidence!)
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To: neverdem

Schizophrenia is treatable. Maybe they should into lithium? Sure Obambi’s new health care will take care of the costs.


26 posted on 10/20/2011 9:56:08 AM PDT by A Navy Vet (PATRIOTIC PEOPLE POWER against any foreign or domestic totalitarians! I like lemonade stands.)
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To: Allegra

Do you know how to extract data when the denominator is zero?


27 posted on 10/20/2011 1:07:43 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Vigilanteman

LOL - yes, those heads are pretty empty.


28 posted on 10/20/2011 2:51:12 PM PDT by Allegra (Hey! Stop looking at my tagline like that.)
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To: SatinDoll

The Tea Party stands fiercely opposed to corrupt crony capitalism.

OWS obviously do not.

In this regard, and in this regard only, the Tea Partiers are more anti-Wall Street than the utterly phony baloney OWS communist vermin.


29 posted on 10/20/2011 4:25:34 PM PDT by FormerACLUmember
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To: FormerACLUmember

The OWS is opposed to the free market system, and capitalism in general. They support communisim, period.

The Tea Party is NOT at all like OWS.


30 posted on 10/20/2011 5:31:28 PM PDT by SatinDoll (NO FOREIGN NATIONALS AS U.S.A. PRESIDENT)
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