DES MOINES, IOWA — The focus today will be on conservatives — who’s got them, who’s lost them, who never had them — here and across Iowa as caucuses begin. But let’s pause for a moment and talk about the Occupy movement, which has a presence in Des Moines and plans to use the caucuses for its own ends.
You probably won’t see occupiers shutting down the caucus process tonight. But you will likely see occupiers using the caucus process (and the massive media coverage surrounding it) to further their political message.
This week, Occupiers protested outside campaign headquarters here in town. Some were arrested. And tonight, Occupiers are calling on their members who are registered voters to attend caucus and events and stand as uncommitted to show their disdain for the slate of candidates.
Occupiers think the coalescing of small democratic events (the caucuses themselves) and huge international media coverage is a big moment for them. Quinn Bowman has the whole story over at PBS:
