During President Obama’s press conference today, he punted when asked about whether he supports the Occupy Wall Street protests:
“Obviously I’ve heard of it. I’ve seen it on television. I think it expresses the frustrations the American people feel. That we’ve had the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression…and yet, we’re still seeing some of the same folks who acted irresponsibly trying to fight efforts to crack down on abusive problems that got us into this crisis in the first place…The protesters are giving voice to a more broad-based frustration about how our financial system works…we have to have a strong, effective financial sector in order for us to grow.”
Not exactly an endorsement, but it’s a little nod of approval to the protesters. So far, that seems to be the standard message from the administration, which is obviously wary about fully embracing the protesters but can’t afford to alienate them either.
But while Obama treads that fine line, he should also keep in mind the anti-globalization protests, which stirred up trouble for Al Gore’s during the 2000 election. A movement that initially started out in opposition to globalization quickly snowballed into a hodgepodge of left-wing grievances: global warming, capitalism, the military-industrial complex. While the protest movement included key elements of Gore’s base – like the labor unions – it also morphed into a campaign that didn’t resonate with the average American. It forced the candidate to play to both sides. And instead of generating more enthusiasm for Gore, many of his supporters claimed it actually led to his loss by creating an opening for third-party candidate Ralph Nader.
The possibility of a repeat of this should be a concern for the Obama administration. While an ideologically-friendly populist movement can be a major advantage for the party out of power (i.e., the Tea Party in ’10, the anti-war movement under Bush), it can also demand purity for the party in power, which presents a tricky obstacle during a presidential election.
