Only A Whistleblower, Most Say Of Snowden

American voters say 55-34% that Edward Snowden is a whistleblower, rather than a traitor, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released yesterday.

Voters say 45-40% the government’s anti-terrorism efforts go too far restricting civil liberties, a reversal from a Jan. 10, 2010, survey by the independent Quinnipiac University when voters said 63-25% that such activities didn’t go far enough to adequately protect the country.

Almost every party, gender, income, education, age and income group regards Snowden as a whistle-blower rather than a traitor. The lone exception were Black voters, with 43% calling him a traitor and 42% calling him a whistleblower.

There is a gender gap on counter-terrorism efforts as men say 54-34% they have gone too far and women say 47-36% they have not gone far enough. There is little difference among Democrats and Republicans who are about evenly divided. Independent voters say 49-36% that counter-terrorism measures have gone too far.

Some of the largest growth in those concerned about the threat to civil liberties is among men and Republicans, groups historically more likely to be supportive of governmental anti-terrorism efforts.

“The massive swing in public opinion about civil liberties and governmental anti-terrorism efforts, and the public view that Edward Snowden is more whistle-blower than traitor are the public reaction and apparent shock at the extent to which the government has gone in trying to prevent future terrorist incidents,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

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