The Most Unhinged Reactions to Occupy Wall Street By PilgrimsProgressive [16 more lists]

The most unhinged reactions to Occupy Wall Street come from, not surprisingly, conservative commentators and politicians. Whether it's Glenn Beck warning that the protesters are not to be trusted and could actually kill someone or Congressman Peter King remarking that the movement is made up of "anarchists," the movement is the subject of ire for many. So much so, that their statements seem...totally crazy. I've collected some of the biggest unhinged Occupy Wall Street reactions, complete with videos and audio, here. Now, it's up to you to decide which reactions are the most disturbing, so vote!

On the flip side, the movement has also produced some pretty awesome Occupy Wall Street video interviews from demonstrators out in the streets to social leaders and journalists, to those who simply want to support the cause. Those who are out marching in various protests (aka the '99 percent') are also wielding some pretty nifty and entertaining Occupy Wall Street signs to hammer home their point and explain why they're involved in the demonstrations.

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CNN's Erin Burnett Mocks Movement

Erin Burnett has a brand new show on CNN, 'Erin Burnett OutFront.' So obviously she wants to create controversy and...you guessed it, boost ratings. It's not clear if that was her objective when, during the October 3, 2011 premiere of 'OutFront,' Burnett aired her visit to Occupy Wall Street. In a nutshell, Burnett's piece totally mocked everyone who was protesting, basically saying they were not well-informed of the issues and they were hypocritical.

If Burnett was aiming for attention, she got it: Media Matters was outraged, demanding that Burnett issue an apology for what it called "a cheap-shot report." Others, including Salon.com's Glenn Greenwald, detailed Burnett's own job history: She's a former Goldman Sachs employee (she later joined CNBC). Greenwald noted that Burnett seemed to be serving as a "spokesperson for Wall Street" in her "journalistic" career. He said Burnett, quite simply, cannot be objective about what's happening and that she's an apologist for Wall Street.
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Fox & Friends: 'Felons and Drug Users'

'Fox & Friends' hosts were quick to offer up their completely insane analysis of the types of people out protesting with Occupy Wall Street. Yes, according to the Fox News gang, they observed the movement and found that some of the marchers are criminals and drug users. What?! No, really look:

Yep, see the title under the photos they showed? "Who Are These Demonstrators? Creepy Criminals Infiltrate Wall St Protests." Oh, and they claim that people are mainly showing up for the great free pizza.
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Glenn Beck: Protesters Will 'Kill Everybody'

Now you just knew Glenn Beck was going to be on a list that included the word "unhinged," right? Absolutely. The conservative radio commentator is predicting total doom, gloom and destruction by the masses protesting with Occupy Wall Street. On his radio show on October 10, 2011, Beck expressed his concern that the movement is dangerous and can't be controlled. He warned politicians and capitalists not to trust anyone associated with Occupy Wall Street, because they might be killed by the masses in the streets. No lie, that's exactly what he said. Here's a quote:

Capitalists, if you think that you can play footsies with these people, you're wrong. They will come for you and drag you into the streets and kill you...they're Marxist radicals...these guys are worse than Robespierre from the French Revolution...they'll kill everybody.

Here's a clip from the show:
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Newt Gingrich: Protesters are Stupid

Newt Gingrich is definitely getting into the act where Occupy Wall Street is concerned. He remarked on CBS' 'Face the Nation' that OWS protesters were "the natural outcome of a bad education system and teaching them really dumb ideas." Gingrich went on to add that the Occupy Wall Street movement "is the natural product of Obama's class warfare." Gingrich also echoed Herman Cain's comments that protesters are jealous of those who have jobs.
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Rep. Peter King: 'Mobs and Anarchists'

New York Congressman Peter King called the Occupy Wall Street protesters anarchists and a "ragtag mob" in a radio interview on 'The Laura Ingraham Show.' The Republican representative from Long Island expressed concern that the movement (and the coverage of it) will shape U.S. government policy, noting that, "We have to be careful not to allow this to get any legitimacy." King is worried that coverage of Occupy Wall Street and the movement itself will shape government policy. God forbid.

The fact is these people are anarchists. They have no idea what they're doing out there.They have no sense of purpose other than a basically anti-American tone and anti-capitalist. It's a ragtag mob basically.
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Monica Crowley: 'Useful Idiots'

Conservative commentator Monica Crowly can't resist coming unhinged when it comes to the Occupy Wall Street movement, calling protesters "idiots" during an appearance on...Fox News. Shocking.

Crowley basically calls Occupy Wall Street protesters "useful idiots who probably haven't paid much in taxes their whole life." She also says the "kids and aging hippies" aren't necessarily at fault, because, in her opinion, they are the product of "the logical extension" of President Barack Obama's "rhetoric and his policies."
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Herman Cain: Protesters Un-American

Occupy Wall Street protesters are "un-American," at least according to Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain. In an interview with the Associated Press on October 5, 2011, Cain addressed the movement, saying that protesters shouldn't rally against Wall Street because workers there are "the ones who create the jobs."

Cain also told the 'Wall Street Journal' that he absolutely thinks the protests are a ruse "to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration" - though he admitted that he didn't "have facts to back this up."

As the Occupy Wall Street movement gains steam, Cain comments more. And each comment seems even more unhinged than the last. Case in point: During an appearance on CBS' 'Face the Nation,' Cain called OWS protesters "jealous" people who are "playing the victim card."
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Champagne-Drinking 1 Percent Mocks Protesters

As the Occupy Wall Street protesters made their way to Wall Street in September 2011, they were met by some with cheers of support - but also by Wall Streeters sipping champagne and mocking them. Yes, as the masses moved toward Zuccotti Park, a group of people on the Cipriani 55 (that's 55 Wall Street, if you were wondering) restaurant balcony were all too happy to raise their glasses of $200-a-bottle champagne in mock solidarity (smirking between sips, of course).
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Michelle Malkin: Protesters are Non-Diverse

Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin questions whether the so-called '99 percent' is actually representative of America's minorities. In an early-October 2011 interview, Malkin addressed the Occupy Wall Street movement, saying that the protesters are ""mostly white."" In fact, Malkin went on to say in an email that ""When Occupy Wall Street activists call themselves the ‘99 percent,’ it turns out they mean 99 percent non-diverse (by their own politically correct measurements)."

Is diversity an actual problem in the movement? Are minorities truly under-represented among the Occupy Wall Street protesters? Patrick Bruner of OccupyWallSt.org told The Daily Caller that while the group doesn't have actual hard diversity statistics, ""I can tell you that we’re not all white, and that we also have a huge LGBT [Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender] population.""
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The '53 Percent' Response

In response to Occupy Wall Street's 99 percent, conservatives have launched their own campaign of sorts. The "We Are the 53 Percent" Tumblr popped up online in October of 2011. The 53 percent part, in case you were wondering, comes from the idea that just 53 percent of Americans actually pay federal income taxes.

This group maintains that the Occupy Wall Street protesters aren't taking personal responsibility for their financial problems. "We Are the 53 Percent" creator Erick Erickson says on the site:

Suck it up you whiners. I am the 53 percent subsidizing you so you can hang out on Wall Street and complain.

Among the people posting on Tumblr: those who admit they've accepted government help (in the form of food stamps, special grants or loans for college). Interesting, no? Like it or not, they ARE among the 99 percent. They fail to realize that many of the Occupy Wall Street protesters are out taking a stand to try and fix things!
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Sean Hannity: Protesters Sound LIke 'Skinhead Nazi Psychos'

During a November 9, 2011, segment on "The Sean Hannity Show" on Premiere Radio Networks, host Sean Hannity played a number of anti-Zionist or anti-Semitic quotes from Occupy Wall Street protesters. Included were clips in which individuals referred to the Zionists who controlled the banks, and railed against the superiority of the Jewish people, who allegedly see themselves as inherently better than everyone else. ("This," one protester says, "is what it means to be a Jew.")

Hannity then said that these protesters, who it was implied were representative of the larger movement, sounded like "skinhead Nazi psychos." He also called the support for the protests from prominent Democrats "disturbing."