Why 'Populism' Shouldn't Be Obama's Battle Cry

As demonstrators took to the streets across the country to decry the excesses of Wall Street, a reporter asked President Barack Obama what he thought of them. Obama allowed that he understood their anger and even offered a bit of carefully modulated praise. “The protesters are giving voice to a broad-based frustration about how our financial system works,” the President said at an Oct. 6 press conference.

His kind words for Occupy Wall Street were a sign of the four-week-old movement’s success. It has been the subject of much press coverage. Kanye West, Michael Moore, and other celebs have added caché, dropping by Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, where several hundred protesters have pitched their tents. Demonstrations are springing up in other cities. Overall, some 50,000 people have participated in OWS events.