Time for occupiers to fold up the tents

The "Occupy" movement thought Black Friday would be yet another opportunity for the rag-tag movement to snag a little additional media attention. By protesting in front of major retailers and impeding shoppers from spending their money, the Occupy crowd thought somehow this would widen their message.

But there's a stark difference between chaos and a legitimate protest. That message was lost on the occupiers.

As virtually everyone knows by now, the Occupy movement is largely fueled by union financial support and the blessing of the current administration. Their message is to protest primarily about the greed on Wall Street. But asked to define their mission, most of the participants fall into a fussy rant on everything from abortion to war to student loans. In other words, they're just upset and want to parley that protest into the headlines.

A willing national media has granted them their wish.

Were they honestly concerned about unemployment and jobs, the last thing they would do would be to stall shoppers from spending those dollars during the holiday season. They should instead be encouraging that spending since it obviously equates into jobs.

But don't let a little thing like common sense and logic get in the way of a good party.

The occupiers will slowly begin to fizzle as the weather turns rough. But I suspect they will be reincarnated next summer to provide cover for the election. If more attention is drawn away from the dismal story line of this administration, then they will have accomplished their true mission.

But there's an equal chance that the protests will backfire. The American public is already beginning to tire of these radicals, free spirits and malcontents. Their message has been sent and received. Now it's time to fold the tents and get a job.

All you need to know is that many activities over the next year will be designed to somehow impact the election results. That applies to protests from both side of the political spectrum. Don't be fooled in the belief that these protests are designed to shine a light on something wrong with society. These protests are nothing more than an attempt to shape some partisan agenda and give the impression that the overwhelmingly majority of Americans feel the same way.

The very best way to address the Occupy charade is to ignore it completely. These protesters and their union-funded backers thrive on media glare. Take that away and the movement ends.

Now wasn't that simple!