Excerpt from an article by William Greider in the November 22, 2011 issue of The Nation:

This new movement [OWS] is probably more threatening to President Obama, because many of the young people and minorities who campaigned and voted for him in 2008 might drift away to Occupy's direct action. If Obama refuses to get tougher on reining in Wall Street, these former supporters may just skip voting in 2012. Yet this new force can ultimately help Obama if he responds to its message. Led by the young, the movement is aligning with the reviving militancy of labor and other progressive constituencies. The spirit is open-armed and patriotic, not negative and divisive. Obama should dare to lead it rather than dodge or oppose it. The Republicans are hopeless, of course, utterly in thrall to banking industry demands.

The full article HERE.

I had great hopes for Barack Obama, but as many people seem to feel, he hasn't measured up to the "audacity" of our "hopes." In truth, with the stonewalling of the Republican Congress who don't seem to give a damn what is good for the country, they just want to make sure that anything Obama is for, they will keep from happening, I'm not sure he could accomplish more than he has. I feel he has been too conciliatory and willing to compromise, which is not the way to deal with that crew.

In any case, as Samuel Johnson said a few centuries ago, "Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully." If a sitting president feels that he is in danger of NOT being re-elected, it might concentrate his mind on trying a bit harder to accomplish what his constituents want him to do.

Methinks there is a new wind about.

Don Firth