Obama and Occupy Wall Street

source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-plans-to-turn-anti-wall-street-anger-on-mitt-romney-republicans/2011/10/14/gIQAZfiwkL_story.html

This article was in regard to President Obama's plans to use the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations across the country as a tool against the GOP in the upcoming 2012 presidential elections. I thought this was important topic to highlight becuase of the growing movement that is "Occupy Wall Street" - a conglomeration of people and ideas that has spread rapidly across the United States, and now has a faction located in DC - only a metro ride away. While many have protested that the movement lacks any actual focus or leader, the sheer amount and variety of people that are camped out to support the cause have begun to have an impact on the behavior of elected officials in Washington.
The fact that President Obama sees the movement as having big enough influence (in trying to convince voters that the President has passed Wall Street reform while his opposition will be against it) to impact the way voters turn out next November means that this is an example of a way that people are directly influencing the current politicy agenda. Because the people have demanded that it become an issue, it has. The movement then becomes a powerful illustration of the impact of the freedom of speech and petition within the American government system.
So while Obama proposes Wall Street reform and the GOP proposes new economic plans, they are both, in essence, trying to respond to the (loud) voice of the people, which is an encouraging display of government, despite what one believes about how effective the movement will be as a whole.