Let me 'splain dis fo yu. There is no doubt that with all the "grass roots" movements of any consequence, a political party will try to co-opt them, or at least gain more than they lose, and not be pushed aside. Provide some funds etc. None of that is new, much less not to be expected.
It is also not the issue here. As has been explained and addressed considerably in discussions here, the Tea Party foundation first appeared while Bush was President, feeling he had drifted too far from Conservative principles. It was timely, and found critical mass soon therafter with Obama and Obamacare and Stimulus. Both programs unique in our political history, btw, and easy lightening rods for smaller government Constitutionalist folks.
But then we get OWS. Protesting events from .... when ? While the Tea Party had a clear path to a common goal of opposing the actions of government at the time, to include primarying RINO's, we do not have any grass-roots signature for OWS. And they sure as crap will not be primarying Democrats.
What we do have is the beginning of the reelection campaign for President Zero. who has literally nothing from his first 4 years (we can extrapolate one more year of failure with ease here) to run on. So his campaign foments the largest rent-a-mob incidence of civil unrest and disobedience in history. And they will break stuff before they let go of their dream of an eternal government teat, which they thought Obama would make happen.
I'm not desperate my friend. But all the libs are. Gonna be quite a show.