A pretty interesting Quinnipiac poll is making the rounds today after they polled New Yorkers on the matter of the Financial District’s newest residents, and the Occupy Wall Street movement at large.
87 percent of New Yorkers are generally fine with the protesting of (or in the polling language “okay that they are protesting”) Wall Street throughout the city. Given that Occupy Wall Street marches have done everything from flooded with foot traffic to completely shut down everywhere from the Brooklyn Bridge to Times Square to Union Square to Washington Square Park, the Upper East Side and beyond, it’s a pretty incredible consensus. 73% of Republicans even agree with their right to protest, a high number considering the protest’s generally liberal leanings (to put it kindly).
Also fairly fascinating: across all political affiliations, a majority of those polled agreed with the general purview of Occupy Wall Street (81% of Democrats, 58% of Republicans and Independents). Furthermore, 61% against 33% of New Yorkers support the “Millionaire’s Tax,” and of the Republicans polled, 55% against 38% support it as well.
As for the police presence, 46% against 45% disapprove of the job they’re doing handling the protesters, against a 61% overall approval of the New York Police Department.
But the most interesting segment of the poll regards where voters place blame for the economic ennui and angst fueling Occupy Wall Street:
- 11% blame President Barack Obama.
- 18% are putting it on Congress.
- A mere 21% are blaming Wall Street and their financial institutions.
- And 37% percent of New Yorkers polled are blaming George W. Bush’s presidential administration.
Which may seem a little bound in futility! Either way, it’s by no means the half-plus majority results the other questions received. It’s all in the full press release on the Quinnipiac poll. For the record, today is Day 30 of Occupy Wall Street; and it looks like they’ll be headed well past the one month mark for the time being.
fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek
