“Occupy Wall Street” Movement Invades Five More Cities… But Do You Even Know What They’re Protesting?

The protests are part of broader theme of class warfare, which might help President Barack Obama in next year’s election, said G. Terry Madonna, a pollster and political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Still, Wall Street isn’t likely to supplant voters’ primary focus on jobs and the economy.

“No doubt there is genuine concern about ‘Wall Street Greed,’ ” Madonna said in an e-mail. “Unless the economy turns around — translation: the job picture improves, confidence in spending is restored, and folks think their personal finances will improve — it won’t be a significant factor in the re- election campaign.”

Another challenge facing demonstrators is their lack of a focused agenda, said Meyer. As events began in Manhattan, organizers aimed to get Obama to establish a commission to end “the influence money has over our representatives in Washington,” according to the website of Vancouver-based Adbusters.

On the ground, protesters have been less unified, with demands that ranged from increasing taxes on Wall Street and the wealthy to ending global warming.

“There’s certainly a potential for starting a movement, but right now it’s just a series of events and a holder for all different causes,” Meyer said. “You have people talking about ending global capitalism, and that doesn’t poll well.”

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