Alexandria, VA - A new USA Today/Gallup poll [1] finds that Americans blame Washington for the country's economic turmoil much more than the target of the Occupy Wall Street protests, Wall Street and financial institutions. Media Research Center President Brent Bozell is not surprised:
'The American people see right through the liberal media's favorable spin [2] on Occupy Wall Street. While they shamelessly coddle these clueless protesters, the public isn't buying it. Americans overwhelmingly blame Washington for the nation's economic mess and failure to address it,' Bozell stated.
'The radical protesters can't rally around a central message, purpose or goal because they don't have one. And their leaders aren't the grassroots grandmas and average Americans the media characterize them as. They are paid activists, ironically fueled by left-wing billionaire George Soros [3] who made his money as a successful capitalist.'
Highlights from USA Today [1]:
- Vast majority Americans blame Washington: 87% of those polled say Washington 'bears a great deal or a fair amount of blame for the economy.'
- Protesters have no clear message: 'The poll shows that most Americans are paying attention to the protest movement. But most don't know enough to take a position. Even among those who have followed the protests closely, 43% don't know enough to say whether they support or oppose the movement's goals.'
- Protesters are elitists, not average Americans: 'On whom to blame for the economy, only one educational group — people with some post-graduate schooling — were more likely to blame Wall Street instead of Washington. All others — college grads, people with some college, people who never went to college — pointed more at Washington.'