many people prefer unscientific DU internet polls.

But then I changed my mind. A Lot!!

of confidence.

It seems like what he did was 'the right thing to do' - as long as you don't have a lot of life experience.

And given his options, Snowden did the right thing. Thank goodness.

If Bush were president, people here would be considering them heroes

And cheering wholesale theft of classified foreign Intel documents are two different things no?

Some might have thought so perhaps, but it's the way that he did it that I find distasteful. I don't think he's a coward as some do, but I'm not impressed with his actions.

It isn't ONLY young people that approve - that's the demographic where the majority agree with what he's done.

When I was young - had I been faced with the decision that he felt that he had to make - I probably would have done the same thing.

Yes, we should be suspicious of the security state - that's not justification to leave the country with state secrets. If he has such strong convictions that what he did was right he should broker a deal and come home and face the music.

I'm not going to defend everything he did.T

But he way the Security State is set up ( and increasingly other things) is if you don't like what is going on, they prevent you from bringing information into the public. You eitehr have to shut up ior go way over the line and exile yourself.

If Snowden had believed they were going way overboard in collecting data and spying on citizens, he didn't have many lawful options to talk about it. Whatever he disclosed would have been persecuted by the system.

So he perhaps did what he felt he had to -- other than just shutting up and living a safe life and allowing the government to do whatever the hell it wanted to us with no accountability.

Also the reaction from many legitimate foreign leaders of friendly governments to revelations that they were being spied on intrusively indicated that sme of the foreign behavior he revealed was not exactly kosher either.

"The young approve of him...It seems like what he did was 'the right thing to do' - as long as you don't have a lot of life experience."

...focus of the poll and the high percentage who responded "don't know" (47 percent among young people), I'd say a lot the respondents are holding judgment.

Polls consistently show that most people approve of the release of data related to domestic activities, and view it as a good thing, but they don't approve of Snowden's actions.

Pew poll: Public Split over Impact of NSA Leak, But Most Want Snowden Prosecuted
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023036390

CNN Poll: Majority give Snowden thumbs down

Just as in Orwell's 1984, public opinion is easy to shape if you control the press, in other words, if we don't enjoy a fully open press, those in charge can mold the opinion as they'd like it to be. If the press were in the present lackey state 45 years ago, and remained that way, we'd still be in Vietnam. Don't be fooled.

Frankly, I don't think Snowden did himself any favors with that.

People think leaving the country with classified secrets is not a noble act.

There seems to be plenty of people arguing his side (we have an open world press), but until what he has done is characterized as something different - most people are gonna think he should turn himself over to the American authorities.

opportunity to "shape public opinion" too. Do you oppose that? Why do you think he's doing the name release on his fledgling news site? It's to "shape opinion".

The majority is often wrong--very wrong. The majority don't like the ACA. And they are wrong. The majority don't like Snowden telling them that their rights are being abused. And they are wrong.

The young people get it. The old people get so hung up in their partisan positions they stick to the script.

there is polling on that, as well.

The majority that don't "like" snowden, actually think the information revealed was important; they just don't like that Snowden stole the classified information (rather than disclose it through proper channels, including giving it to Rand Paul) and gave it to foreign media and took refuge in Russia.

That's what the old people don't like about Snowden.

I say it was a worthwhile trade off.

When the system is rigged against whistleblowers, those who do blow the whistle are not likely to conform to the profile of someone we'd like to have as a dinner guest.

He stole and disclosed classified information, some of which brought light to NSA activities regarding the American people, most of which exposed NSA activities regarding foreign nations.

being a whistle blower of a security state is inevitably going to bring out "classified" information. Who decides what's classified? That term can be used to cover up all kinds of mischief.

And, the angry response of legitimate governments that are supposedly our allies also woild indicate that not everything the US does overseas is kosher either. Their anger went beyond assuming that the intrusive snooping of the US Security State went beyind businbess as usual.

If you believe that Snowden should have just shut up and walked away and not revealed what the government is doing, and not sparked a discussion of privacy....Well I'll just have to respectfully agree to disagree.

Personally, I don't think they should be given a free pass to do whatever they want with no oversight or accountability. We have not required enough of that since 9-11, and we'll continue to have less and less privacy if we prefer to keep our head in the sand.

I think that if Snowden had disclosed the information through channels, or even by giving it to ... say ... Rand Paul, we would still be having these discussions; but would not with China or the UK.

You casually dismiss the angry response of other governments as simply public posturing? Amazing.

If everyone knows governments spy on every nation when they can, what would be the need for feigned anger? Their people would surely know we are spying on them right?

Newsflash, you either don't want to understand the gravity of some of these activities or can't.

I dismiss the angry response of other governments as simply public posturing ... and so does the international community. You don't get upset when it is exposed that countries with spy agencies spy; but you do say "Shame on you!", and then move along.

This poll demonstrates there is no political will to grant clemency for his crimes. He will go to prison because every interview he's given is evidence to be used against him and he confessed his crimes in multiple interviews, it's just a matter of when now.

Sometimes the majority of DU is also "often wrong."

I mean, opposing Greenwald and Snowden doesn't require a coordinated effort. That means, anyone believing that dislike or mistrust of Greenwald and Snowden is a conspiracy is also "wrong."

So, a majority want fixes--that means they don't like it as is. Right? There are plenty of other polls where the majority say they don't like it.

As for Snowden, the majority can believe what they want. That hasn't stopped them from being wrong in the past.

Seems to be the next logical step in our justice system. What further need have we of witnesses? Swift, efficient, and as long as the majority is happy, who can quibble?

27% reported not hearing, seeing or have read about Snowden ... and another 2% reported not being sure whether they had or not.

(The first figure is scary ... The second figure is kind of funny.)

That is funny.

and you get a majority.

How about asking how many of those who support Snowden are Democrats? Or how many republicans don't like Snowden?

Or how many of those in the NBC poll that have a negative view of Snowden also have an unfavorable view of Obama?

Would you want to tout their wisdom then?

Because as it stands I dont think it makes any sense to anyone.

Lots of fiber. Clears out a lot of shit. You should try some.

Or actually "What wit?"?

Salad won't do it for you. I suggest Colon Blow.

The OP cites a poll that says the the majority of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Snowden. The purpose being to show that Snowden is in the wrong, which is the opinion the poster of the OP has supported elsewhere.

However, this is a stupid argument. The largest number of those who have an unfavorable opinion of Snowden also have an unfavorable opinion of Obama. Hence the red-neck reference. Add that number to those who don't like Snowden for little reason other than his actions shine an unfavorable light on the president and you have the majority the OP touted.

I believe the majority of those polled who had a favorable view of Snowden would be Democrats - Democrats who don't like Bush's unwarranted surveillance of Americans regardless of who is in office when it takes place. Then there are the democrats whose principles shift with the election. Those would not have a favorable opinion of Snowden.

I'll proudly take my place in the group of Democrats who support Snowden's actions and thank him for his sacrifice. I've been in the minority before - like during all of the reagan years.

It is silly to suggest that because a poll shows a majority feel one way, that it is right. Otherwise the OP would have to believe that reagan was the best choice for president for eight years.

I mean, there was no counting of Twitter hashtags at all in it, and everybody knows Twitter hashtags are indicative of what the general populace thinks about Edward Snowden. It just doesn't get any more scientific than Twitter hashtag counting.

That's gonna leave a mark.

Older don't. That is about the same percentages in the same age groups that support/oppose with gay marriage. Enjoy aligning yourself with those against change.

That's how they collect all that info on the remaining minority...

probably because most of the stuff that came out involved foreign things.

just look at the ratings for the interview. tied for 2nd place with a rerun of some show. and first place was a rerun of some other show.

maybe people will change their minds after watching the movie.

The problem for them, is & has been, that this is just not a kitchen table issue for the American people.

Edward Snowden-Brian Williams Interview Beaten by CBS Rerun


Edward Snowden? Living in Russia, world’s most wanted leaker of government secrets, Snowden, you’d think, would be a huge “get” for any network anchor. Last night Brian Williams got the scoop and presented an interview with Snowden called “Inside the Mind of Edward Snowden” on NBC.

Big ratings? They were ok. The total viewer number was 5.91 and the key demo was 1.3. But “Inside” didn’t win its time slot. It was beaten by a rerun of “CSI” on CBS. “CSI” had a larger total audience– 6.14 million viewers. Of course, the “CSI” viewers were slightly older, as the rerun scored a 1.1 in the key demo.

How frustrating for Williams et al that not a lot of people cared about finally seeing and hearing Snowden. It didn’t help that NBC didn’t care very much either. The lead in was a two rerun of “Last Comic Standing.” They had this big news scoop, and didn’t bother to just put it on at 8pm and say Here, look what we’ve got. Maybe that’s why the Snowden interview was also beaten for the night by CBS’s rerun of “Criminal Minds.”

Fiction is better than fact!

Let's just emulate East Germany and the Stasi State...Freedom is such a quaint concept anyway

This poll demonstrates that at this time, there is no political will for Snowden to receive leniency.

Could it change?

Yeah.

Will it change?

I doubt it, but you never know.

"And 9/10 Americans think they eat a healthy diet "

Maybe there's a reason for that...

Fifty-five percent of Americans support legislative efforts to legalize marijuana
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/27/22470647-poll-majority-of-americans-support-efforts-to-legalize-marijuana

LOL!

The NSA has lied much more during this episode than Snowden could in a lifetime. They even lied to congress and later admitted they told the least dishonest lie.

I was "lying" that most Americans don't support Snowden.