Tipsheet

Obama's "Occupy America" Strategy

ABC News analyst Rick Klein argues that "anger" is President Obama's great hope for 2012.

Yes, it's really as bad as that.

What "anger" is Klein talking about?  The anger about massive government spending, persistent unemployment, and the erosion of America's standard of living and place in the world?  How does one stoke anger at "the man" when you're "the man"?

"Anger" can sometimes be a political tool -- but it's a tough tool to use when you're the one who's been in charge for the last four years, with undivided government at your beck-and-call for two of them.

What's more, anger can be dangerous.  It's a little like fire, it can turn and ignite in unexpected directions.  Yes, Obama and his friends think it's politically advantageous to demonstrate solidarity with the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, but doing so has left them linked to a movement that's quickly becoming discredited, whether through violent acts or simple economic hostage-taking.  

Trying to turn "Occupy Wall Street" into "Occupy America" is a dangerous strategy.  Not only is it ugly to watch a president seek to pit the people he governs against one another, it's just one more convincing demonstration that the "yes we can" approach of candidate Obama was just a political creation, rather than a real expression of the candidate and his character.