'Occupy' is not a tea party

I’m not a huge fan of the tea party, but I have to give it credit for using lawful, peaceful demonstrations and for organizing politically in a way that has made a real impact on the nation’s democratic process.
In contrast, the “Occupy Wall Street” folks have proven themselves to be little more than thugs and vandals with no cohesive platform. That was confirmed last weekend as hundreds were arrested in protests across the country.

Overseas, things turned violent in Rome, where protesters smashed windows and set fire to cars.
This column for pennlive.com by Lowman S. Henry says it well. The tea party has been a real force for change. I say that even though I don’t agree with much of its agenda. A tea party rally in Washington, D.C. attracted a large crowd without any arrests, as far as I’m aware, and the group has succeeded in electing several members of Congress.
That movement may be waning. If Mitt Romney were nominated, his more centrist agenda may take the wind out of the tea party sails. But the core of tea party concerns is similar to the core of the “Occupy Wall Street” concerns – government bailouts to banks and big businesses. When all is said and done, the orderly, work-through-the-system approach will end up being more effective than the masked faces and law-breaking approach.
Even the raucous town hall meetings of a few years ago don’t compare with what the latest movement is doing.