ANALYSIS | As the conservative right continues to rally around the symbolism of the Boston Tea Party, the liberal left has now made its own call for revolution, staging protests across the country unified under the umbrella of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Coming on the heels of political upheaval around the world, the divide between Democrats and Republicans in the American political arena creates fertile ground for the growth of revolutionary spirit. Can this spirit really change the landscape of America's future?
Tea Party makes an impact
Since the rise of the grassroots Tea Party movement in 2007, members of the Republican Party can attest that indeed this revolutionary spirit has already impacted the political process. As candidates from the Tea Party movement took office in the 2010 off cycle elections, the GOP found itself splintered at its core. With the 2012 presidential election coming into focus, the Tea Party again proves to have powerful sway, as hopefuls Michelle Bachmann, Ron Paul, and even frontrunner Herman Cain find their primary support among the Tea Party constituency.
Occupy Wall Street movement spreads
Captivating the youth of the Democratic Party, the OWS movement continues to gain support as well as spreading its message and occupation across America. With participation from Atlanta to Oregon, the OWS crowds are definitively grabbing the attention of the world, and in particular, that of President Barack Obama. In their own words, the movement is "fueled by the feelings of anger and helplessness" and united against the power Wall Street holds over Washington DC and the American political process.
Revolution is on the Ballot
Attempting to embrace the spirit of the moment, Independent Presidential candidate Jeff Block has even gone so far as to urge voters to cast their ballot for Revolution directly. Vowing to take office for only 100 days if elected, Block proposes radical change within a system perceived as broken, both by him and the American public. Asserting that roughly 100 million Americans with the capacity to vote did NOT do so in 2008; Mr. Block does not aim for the Democrat or Republican voting base, concentrating rather on those Americans so discouraged with the current political process that they don't even bother to cast a vote at all.
The 2012 Election
As candidates for office ratchet up their campaigns for the 2012 elections, taking the pulse of the voting public becomes paramount. While opinions among political strategists vary on the subject, candidates are forced to either embrace the revolutionary spirit or oppose it. Even as the party lines separating Republicans and Democrats continue to diverge, it could very well be that the most dangerous political stance of all is the support of the status quo.




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