Apparently the public has seen and read enough about Occupy Wall Street to make up its mind that it isn’t something it supports.

According to a Public Policy Polling survey, support for OWS has dropped rapidly as more and more reports detail theft, violence, rape, and all sorts of other anti-social behavior (such as defecating in the street) among its participants.

Only 33% now say that they are supportive of its goals, compared to 45% who say they oppose them. That represents an 11 point shift in the wrong direction for the movement’s support compared to a month ago when 35% of voters said they supported it and 36% were opposed. Most notably independents have gone from supporting Occupy Wall Street’s goals 39/34, to opposing them 34/42.

Note again the all important demographic (independents) in which the big switch has occurred.  Democrats who’ve hitched their wagon to OWS should begin deserting it like rats deserting a sinking ship when they see these results.

As for the claim that OWS is more popular than the Tea Party?  Yeah, not so much:

Tea Party 43%, Occupy Wall Street 37%. Last month, Occupy Wall Street had a narrow advantage of 40%-37%.

Among independents:

Again the movement with independents is notable- from preferring Occupy Wall Street 43-34, to siding with the Tea Party 44-40.

That said, the issue OWS supposedly represents is still alive and well even if it is a misinformed position:

I don’t think the bad poll numbers for Occupy Wall Street reflect Americans being unconcerned with wealth inequality.  Polling we did in some key swing states earlier this year found overwhelming support for raising taxes on people who make over $150,000 a year. In late September we found that 73% of voters supported the ‘Buffett rule’ with only 16% opposed.  And in October we found that Senators resistant to raising taxes on those who make more than a million dollars a year could pay a price at the polls. I don’t think any of that has changed- what the downturn in Occupy Wall Street’s image suggests is that voters are seeing the movement as more about the ‘Occupy’ than the ‘Wall Street.’  The controversy over the protests is starting to drown out the actual message.

This is most likely true since most people don’t understand that the economics of earnings isn’t a zero sum game.  On the one hand the left has done a good job of selling the idea that income inequality  is important and can be solved through higher taxes on the so-called or relatively “rich”.

Of course that’s nonsense.  That said, OWS is now more of a detriment than a asset to that cause if this poll is to be believed.   And that means the usual thing for politicians with their fingers firmly in the political wind – those who have embraced the OWS protestors will be trying to find a way to desert and then denounce the rabble.

OWS will linger – today they’re going to try to rally in NYC on Wall Street – but I’d argue we’ve seen the movement’s high tide.  I will now recede into a mere annoying shadow of itself as support is withdrawn by political figures and organizations.  And, of course, you can count on participants getting even more desperate to rally support and I think we all know what that means.  More excess, more stupidity, less support.

I say good riddance.

~McQ

Twitter: @McQandO