Getting in the way of your message

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CNN:

More Americans supporting Occupy Wall Street

As Americans learn more about Occupy Wall Street, they are becoming more supportive of the movement’s positions, according to a new poll from ORC International.

The survey, taken Oct. 28-31, shows more adult Americans saying they have heard of Occupy Wall Street than when the question was asked in early October. Sixty-four percent of respondents now say they’ve heard of the movement, compared to only 51% in the earlier poll.

The new poll also shows more Americans supporting the movement. Thirty-six percent say they agree with the overall positions of Occupy Wall Street, while 19% say they disagree.

But wait! There’s more!

National Journal:

Poll: Voters Viewing Occupy Wall St. Unfavorably

A sign that the Occupy Wall Street movement isn’t the best long-term vehicle for Democrats to connect themselves with: A new Quinnipiac poll, showing a plurality of voters viewing the group unfavorably.

The poll, released today, show 30 percent of voters surveyed view the movement favorably, 39 percent unfavorably, with an additional 30 percent not hearing enough to have an opinion. It’s one of the first national polls to suggest voters are growing skeptical of Occupy Wall Street- and it comes as police have clashed with protesters in several cities. Previous national polls have shown a plurality of adults supporting the movement.

These numbers comes as Democrats, from the White House on down, have struck a decidedly populist tone in recent months, from President Obama calling on the wealthy to pay a higher share in taxes, Senate Democratic officials rallying behind the campaign of Elizabeth Warren, who has embraced the Occupy Wall Street movement, and House Democrats, who sent out a petition last month aimed at leveraging the Occupy Wall Street movement against the Republican Party.

The poll found that Occupy Wall Street’s negatives aren’t quite as high as the Tea Party’s unfavorables, but aren’t far off. Just 31 percent of voters view the Tea Party unfavorably, 45 percent unfavorably, and 24 percent haven’t heard enough.

Among independents, the Occupy Wall Street movement and Tea Party movement are now viewed equally unfavorably. Occupy Wall Street has a net -13 favorable rating with independents (29% favorable/42% unfavorable), while the Tea Party holds a net -11 favorable rating (34% favorable/45% unfavorable).

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Those two polls are not contradictory. If you read carefully you will see that the OWS message is more popular than OWS. This is what happens when you hurt your cause with bad tactics and visuals. Or as we used to say in the army, “Don’t step on your own dick.”

There is a myth that the anti-war movement caused the end of the war in Vietnam. But the anti-war movement remained unpopular with the general public even as they soured on the war. The hippies liked McGovern, but Nixon won in a landslide.

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