Poll: Americans Turn On Snowden, Majority Supports Criminal Charges

[Tx4obama]

Poll: Americans Turn On Snowden, Majority Supports Criminal Charges

Amid reports that Edward Snowden has been granted permission to enter Russia, a poll released Wednesday found that American attitudes toward the National Security Agency leaker have shifted markedly in the last month.

The latest ABC News/Washington Post found that 53 percent of Americans are in favor of criminal charges being brought against Snowden, a jump from a poll in June that found a plurality of 48 percent opposed to charging the 30-year-old former government contractor with a crime.

Moreover, the latest ABC/WaPo survey found that 57 percent of Americans believe it's more important for the government to investigate potential terrorist threats than for it to protect privacy rights. Nearly half of Americans — 49 percent — said that Snowden's disclosures of top secret surveillance programs harmed national security either a "great deal" or "somewhat."

-snip-

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/poll-americans-turn-on-snowden-majority-supports-criminal

[davidn3600]

1. Enjoy your shrinking civil liberties, America

Not much left.

[Egnever]

2. Oh I don't know about that

Lots of freedom left from my point of view.

[cyclezealot]

11. Take Note. It was the Republicans who saved Obama yesterday ``

In the Vote to reign in the NSA. Without Snowden this vote would have never happened. Democrats failed to support Obama's position by 111 to 94. Republican support for Obama - 134 to 84. Nice friends there , you keep. President Obama.
. Roll Call vote, 412 just yesterday..
. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll412.xml

[woo me with science]

3. Washington Post Poll: Privacy concerns rise after NSA leaks

I really think this is the more important part of the poll, but it does not surprise me that you tried to make it about Snowden.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-privacy-concerns-rise-after-nsa-leaks/2013/07/23/3a1b64a6-f3c7-11e2-a2f1-a7acf9bd5d3a_story.html

Poll: Privacy concerns rise after NSA leaks
By Jon Cohen and Dan Balz

Concerns about personal privacy are on the rise, with a big majority of Americans saying the National Security Agency’s collection of telephone and Internet data intrudes on citizens’ rights without clear improvements in U.S. security, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Nearly three-quarters of Americans say the NSA programs are infringing on some Americans’ privacy rights, and about half see those programs as encroaching on their own privacy. Most of those who see the programs as compromising privacy say the intrusions are unjustified.

The percentage of Americans who put a higher priority on privacy protections than the investigation of terrorist threats has more than doubled in a decade and has hit the highest point in any Post-ABC News poll dating back to summer 2002. Today, about four in 10 say it is more important to protect privacy even if that limits the government’s ability to investigate possible terrorist threats.

Some of the discomfort stems from doubts that the programs are making the United States safer. Only 42 percent say the programs make the country safer. More, 47 percent, see the programs as making little difference in the country’s security. And 5 percent say they actually make the nation less safe.

[Tx4obama]

6. Excerpt from your link ...

-snip-

For the past month, Snowden has been holed up in the transit area of a Moscow airport. As he has awaited word on whether Russia might grant him asylum, sympathy for him has diminished. In the new poll, 53 percent say Snowden should be charged with a crime, up 10 percentage points in a month. About half of all Americans say Snowden’s leaks have hurt U.S. security, although barely more than two in 10 say they’ve had a big effect.

-snip-

Looking forward to Snowden being arrested in the future and standing trial here in The USA

[woo me with science]

7. Constitutional protections should have nothing to do with polls,

but it is interesting that you avoided posting the Washington Post's actual headline and what they clearly considered the poll's most important findings: that Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the invasive spying being perpetrated by the NSA.

You instead try, yet again, to make it all about Snowden. That is, after all, how the smear machine rolls.

[Tx4obama]

8. The OP headline is same as the one on the Talking Points Memo article excerpt from link in the OP

What is interesting is that I posted this thread about SNOWDEN - and it looks to me like you're trying to make it about the NSA.

[woo me with science]

13. Yeah, when reporting the Washington Post poll,

Last edited Thu Jul 25, 2013, 06:58 AM - Edit history (1)

who would ever *think* of going to the Washington Post?



Smear, smear, smear!

[caseymoz]

12. So, if it diminishes, it can grow again.

Today's numbers mean nothing tomorrow.

And if they think he needs to be prosecuted, it's because they've temporarily bought in to the "rule of law" bullshit, thinking it applies as anything but a threat from a lawless government.

There will be other Snowdens, each revealing something worse.

[jollyreaper2112]

16. You aren't really a person, are you?

Please tell me you are a troll account. Please confirm that no thinking person could truly be this myopic and wrong.

[chimpymustgo]

35. You really should post this separately. Truth over propaganda.

[woo me with science]

36. Okay.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023339015

[Pretzel_Warrior]

4. Ruh roh

I admit it is weird but a lot of Americans are BOTH pissed at Snowden and his entire act AND pissed at the US government and NSA for out of control surveillance and want it stopped.

You purists may not like it, but many Americans have complex, nuanced feelings about Snowden/NSA.

Oh, and fuck you, Evo Morales.

[struggle4progress]

5. So the landscape here is complex: many people have no idea who Snowden is; few consider him

a traitor; a number are concerned about potential government spying; and many think Snowden should be prosecuted. I imagine that those categories overlap, so that one and the same person might be concerned about potential government spying and yet think Snowden should be prosecuted without considering him a traitor

[Cha]

9. I consider him a hacker, leaker, and a

lying hypocritical coward.. in that order. I'll leave it to the DOJ to sort out the charges..

I am not worried about my privacy in regards to the NSA.. So, I must be an "authoritarian" like this guy..

Leaker's Lawyer, one, Anatoly Kucherena..



http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3336193

[DCBob]

19. +1

"and the same person might be concerned about potential government spying and yet think Snowden should be prosecuted without considering him a traitor"

that would be me.

[davidpdx]

10. NBC is not very good either 11 positive/35 negative/24 neutral/31 NS

July 2013
Edward Snowden

Very
Positive 4

Somewhat
Positive 7

Neutral 24

Somewhat
Negative 10

Very
Negative 25

Don't Know
Name/Not Sure 31

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/A_Politics/_Today_Stories_Teases/130724-July-NBC-WSJ-poll.pdf

[Lonr]

14. Snowden is a hero

Period.

[ancianita]

15. Where rule of law is for the 99%, company town media get 'majorities' that go along to get along.

Company town bosses drum up majority opinions to legitimize any statements or actions abroad by this corporate-captured government. Support the middle class in word. Squash it in deed. To the world, America and Russia are two sides of the same authoritarian coin, anyway.

[tsuki]

17. In my youth, I supported Radio Free America and watched for

news reports about Sakharov, Bonner, Solzhenitsyn, Mindszenty, Dubcek and others. Now I watch RT and check for news about Manning, Assange, Edmonds, Drake and others.

I am sure the majority of Soviet citizens during my youth were yelling USSR! USSR! USSR!

[99Forever]

18. Same pathetic character...

... assassins, different day.

Have your pals at the NSA stopped spying on law-abiding citizens going about their daily lives? Or are we all still suspects just by existing?

meh.

[Puzzledtraveller]

24. Don't worry

If heaven forbid a republican gets elected in 2016 they will be against it and DU will have harmony on the issue.

[99Forever]

26. That's the problem with ...

... putting party over principles.

I used to think that Democrats were better than that. I have had my eyes opened to the sad reality that a good many of them have no real principles at all, but much like their ugly Republican brethren, and only care about gaining and retaining power and will use any means necessary to do so.

[RC]

28. Between the 3rd Way, DLC, DINO's and other fake Democrats, are you really surprised?

That (D) does not mean what many think it does. Not Republican is an incorrect answer.

[99Forever]

38. I ran out of surprise a very long time ago.

The Democratic Party of today is to the right the Republican Party of Nixon.

The corporate takeover of both major parties is nearly complete and likely signals the end of the American way of life for most of us. Our daunted "leaders" of both stripes don't give a shit about anyone except themselves and if what it takes to feather their own nest, is felating the 1%, felate them, they will.

[Marr]

30. lol, pretty much this. +1

[PowerToThePeople]

20. I support Snowden.

[Progressive dog]

21. They didn't ask me but I am part of that majority

NBC/WSJ has a new poll out, only 11% of Americans view Snowden favorably while 35% view him negatively.
I guess the comparisons of Eddie to Paul Revere didn't resonate.

[Le Taz Hot]

22. As has been explained to the Cheer Squad

COUNTLESS times: It's NOT ABOUT SNOWDEN. It's about domestic spying without our consent. And LOVED that vote yesterday -- Obama, the Blue Dogs and most Republicans. Now, defend THAT!

[Puzzledtraveller]

23. Oh no, I better change my opinion so I can be in the majority!

[Egalitarian Thug]

25. Imagine that, the authoritarian's new "plan". Argumentum ad Populum.

The perfect argument to use on herd animals.

[cantbeserious]

27. The Character Assassination Program Has Suceeded

eom

[tsuki]

29. Absolutely. I wonder how much it cost the taxpayer? nt

[cantbeserious]

32. Good Question

eom

[Marr]

31. ...congratulations?

For the ten thousandth time, this is not about Edward Snowden. You'd never guess that to listen to the talk on the pro-domestic spying side of the debate, however.

[arely staircase]

33. you know one can be against the metadata collection and still think Snowden

should be prosecuted. I do. I think anyone who steals government secrets (that have nothing to do with domestic surveillance) and shares them with the Chinese ought to be in prison.

[frylock]

34. Majority of Americans favor restricting abortion at 20 weeks..

majority rules.

[Vinnie From Indy]

37. This is one American that thinks the smear campaign against Snowden is bullshit!

I will not be distracted not matter how many small minded, agenda driven OPs are posted here.

[Scurrilous]

39. K & R