My first protest was 30 years ago, and I’ve had to spend enough time arguing since that the *concept* is legitimate and effective that I’m stunned by these numbers. I think 19 percent might be an undercount of “new,” as that phrasing of the question doesn’t include someone who attended a rally once in college, and is now out the door once a month.

To me, the next question is political coverage, as I’ve seen rallies of 250,000 (Gulf War protests) get the same reporting as rallies of 500 (Tea Party), and that’s the primary driver of effectiveness. Echoes of Vietnam: millions of Americans are taking to the streets.