North Carolina GOPer shows how to lose votes

If you're running for office, never run against Occupy.

This blog is not an official Occupy organ, and I don't claim to speak for the entire Occupy coalition, but I will call out politicians who lie about us. And I will bask in the electoral demise that it brings them.

North Carolina's Democratic Secretary of State Elaine Marshall faces a challenge from Republican Ed Goodwin, and they squared off in a debate on Thursday. Near the end of the forum, Goodwin whined that Marshall supports Occupy Raleigh. Goodwin claimed in his distinctive Southeastern drawl that Occupy advocates the overthrow of the federal government - which is a lie.

A woman in the audience took issue with Ed Goodwin's lying. "No they don't," the woman declared. Goodwin then insisted on arguing with the woman from the stage.

It hurts politicians enough to criticize Occupy - especially Occupy Raleigh, which appears to be one of the more popular Occupy chapters - but to lie outright about Occupy is just inviting defeat at the polls. With Occupy's reduced visibility since the authorities' coordinated campaign to break up our campsites, the public has been asking nonstop when the camps are going to be back. As much as we lament lack of participation at general assemblies, we still gain adoring spectators, as shown by the ongoing rise in our Facebook numbers.

Much as the hostile media doesn't understand viewers, Ed Goodwin doesn't understand voters.

This misunderstanding of Occupy's reach also underscores another Goodwin fallacy. He attacked Occupy as a "redistributionist organization", but the day for this demagoguery has passed. It just so happens that people like the idea of sharing wealth. Real populism works. Economic justice is one of the basic precepts of a society.

It's why we Occupy! And it's why people love us.

And it's why you don't run against Occupy.

(Source: http://projects.newsobserver.com/node/25522)