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OCTOBER 13, 2011

Occupy Wall Street Has a Famous Problem

Occupy Wall Street, now in its fourth week, was on a roll. The crowds outgrew its original camp at Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan. The media finally showed up in force. Protesters published specific demands. The movement claimed to have spread to more than 200 cities.

That's when the undesirables showed up.

No, not the police or flame-throwing anarchists, but the famous people: Michael Moore, Russell Simmons, Buddy Roemer, Kanye West, Richard Trumka and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

In Los Angeles, protesters had to suffer Rosanna Arquette. You know, the actress and subject of a 1980s song by the band Toto.

Talk about a buzz kill.

The presence of the famous and semifamous on the front lines isn't all bad, of course. They help bring awareness and more media coverage. But their drawbacks far outweigh the benefits.

All the names are polarizing figures. And by coming to Wall Street, the pretty people also are pushing Occupy Wall Street into an uncomfortable spot.

Will the group's best attributes--energy, inclusiveness and its still-forming message--be corrupted by hijackers with their own agendas?

It's happening already. Mr. Moore's website is now a repository of information on Occupy Wall Street. There are posts about how the protesters will survive the winter, links to forming groups at high schools and, of course, a large promotion for Mr. Moore's new book and a schedule of his book tour.

Mr. Moore didn't respond to inquiries seeking comment.

One can hardly blame Mr. Moore, whose very profitable corner of capitalism has been built on throwing stones at the same economic system. In many ways, Mr. Moore's anti-corporate credo is a natural fit with the protesters.

On the other hand, Mr. Moore's style is a big turnoff for many Americans. He might bring his own following to Occupy Wall Street, but he brings baggage, too.

That's basically the risk Occupy Wall Street, a group claiming to represent the interests of 99% of Americans, now faces as it nears legitimacy in the eyes of the nation.

Part of the protest's appeal is its pursuit of the democratic ideal. There are no leaders. Almost everything--from what time the kitchen will close to targets being marched on--is decided in an open-air meeting by votes.

That ideal is threatened by people such as Rev. Sharpton and Mr. Moore. They unintentionally co-opt the conversation.

Consider the images and statements a television news director will show when given the choice of another unpolished student protester or the articulate and recognizable Mr. Moore.

The problem isn't just the magnetism of celebrities. Mr. Roemer, the former governor of Louisiana, is running for the Republican nomination for president. A moderate in the field, Mr. Roemer is trailing in the polls. But he did make headlines when he joined the protesters this week and said Wall Street "has become...a facilitator for greed and for the selling of American jobs."

How many Occupy Wall Street people will follow him when they learn that he defected from the Democratic Party, brought gambling to Louisiana and made money as a nursing-home investor while supporting Sen. John McCain's run for president?

Mr. Roemer didn't respond to requests for comment.

Ultimately, the initial and surprising success of Occupy Wall Street is now leading to bigger problems. A movement that's still struggling at conveying its message now runs the risk of having that message confused or drowned by famous interlopers.

Meanwhile, politicians eager for votes can exploit Occupy Wall Street's energy. Anyone dedicated enough to sleep in a New York City park for free is the kind of person any candidate wants in his campaign.

Still, Occupy Wall Street can look at history for some comfort. In 1932, Father James Cox led a march of the unemployed on Washington, winning an audience with President Herbert Hoover.

After the meeting, Rev. Cox declared the U.S. had a "government of the bankers, for the bankers and by the bankers," according to Michael Perino, a history professor at St. John's University Law School.

Mr. Perino says Father Cox's march inspired a raft of financial reform, including the Glass-Steagall Act and the establishment of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Also, there is a recent example in which a movement loosely organized and without household-name leadership thrived despite celebrity and political influence: the tea party.

While the targets of Occupy Wall Street and the tea party are somewhat different, the key to success is the same: The only thing famous about them should be the message.

Write to David Weidner at david.weidner@dowjones.com