Herman Cain vs. “Occupy Wall Street” – The Rock Opera

Instead of an alarm to wake us up, Gary and I set our clock to a talk radio station. For the past several days, we’ve been roused by ongoing reports about the movement known as “Occupy Wall Street.”

As a huge admirer of the Brooklyn Bridge, which was more or less “in my backyard” when I was a child, the pictures of protesters on the bridge have attracted my attention. My Dad walks over the bridge every morning on his way to work. What’s it like for him, I wonder, walking through the throngs of demonstrators? (I keep neglecting to ask….)

And now the marches, rallies, etc. have spread to our area – Washington, DC – too.

Living in DC, it’s hard to escape politics, especially when things are heating up in the race for President. Accordingly, candidates are weighing in on what’s going on.

The other morning, our “alarm” (you be the judge!) was a vignette about Republican would-be candidate Herman Cain’s take on Occupy Wall Street. The former Godfather’s Pizza CEO said in an interview, “Don’t blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks. If you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself. It is not someone’s fault if they succeeded, it is someone’s fault if they failed.”

Easy for him to say…. In mid-June Cain’s net worth was given as approximately $18 million. 

Why do I think he didn't get there completely on his own?

Anyway, I was thinking about protests and the civil rights movement came to mind. No great surprise, I suppose. Being a child of the ‘60s, I then began channeling Pete Seeger and this is what sprang to mind.

With this tune in mind, I offer these lyrics instead:

If you miss me at the back of the bus,

And you can’t find me nowhere, whoa-oh-oh

Check the limo that’s parked next to the bus,

I’ll be riding in there.

I’m a charmed millionaire, oh!

Sometimes life just isn’t fair, whoa-oh

My name’s Herman Cain,

Go right ahead and complain

Truth is I just don’t care!

Guess you know who I won’t be voting for in November if he’s on the ballot….