Occupy Wall Street Doesn't Care Who's President

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Protestors who showed up at Occupy Wall Street protests Thursday in an unsuccessful effort to shut down the New York Stock Exchange aren't especially focused on the upcoming presidential election.

"I have no faith in the electoral process," said a 20-year-old protestor who would identify himself only as "T." While he says he is registered to vote, he doesn't plan to vote in the upcoming Presidential election. "If one of us gets elected, possibly," he said.

"I'm just helping people that need help, like a hug and a kiss and making sure that people are vibe-ing," said Akio R., a man who appeared to be in his mid twenties and who also would not give his full name. He too says he is registered to vote, though "nobody's said much to trigger me to do much," on election day.

A couple of older protestors sounded more focused on the upcoming election and the broader goals of the protest, however.

Olga LeBrom, 49, who is currently unemployed, considered the protest a success even though it did not manage to shut down the NYSE.

"Any show of support for this message is positive," LeBrom says. LeBrom voted for Obama in the last election and plans to support him again. "I think he's done the best job with the support that he's been given. I think at this point people need to wake up and see that the Republicans are passing unbelievably meaningless laws. They're just wasting time until the next election."

Janelle Barabash, a 60 year-old retired New York City public high school teacher says she is a member of the Working Families Party, "one of the groups that actually supports the Occupy Movement, as well as my U.F.T.," she said, referring to the United Federation of Teachers.

"Like everyone else I want Obama to stand up and be what he was when he was running, but he seems to have been bought over by the 1%, or he always was and his speeches were just fantasies," she said.

Barabash is happy to have been able to retire with a government pension, and wants younger people to be able to enjoy the same benefits she has had. As for whether she considered Thursday's protest was a success, Barabash wasn't sure.

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