This poll is all over the place, which reflects the fact that this issue is currently stuck in a weird place. The fact is that these programs are in direct opp

This poll is all over the place, which reflects the fact that this issue is currently stuck in a weird place. The fact is that these programs are in direct opposition with what most people believed were American ideals, and are probably unconstitutional. However, Obama's liberal base is pretty rabid and will basically stick with him regardless of what he does, and Republicans have a natural inclination toward strong defense. Since NSA has associated these programs with terrorism (although they go far beyond that), Republicans can't come out strongly against them either. I will hand it to Obama's political strategists: they have spun this in a way that their opposition cannot meaningfully oppose them without betraying their own ideals. Case in point, Question 17: "Do you think the Obama administration has gone too far, has been about right, or has not gone far enough in restricting people's civil liberties in order to fight terrorism?" Too far 43% | About right 38% | Not far enough 17% | No opinion 1% 55% say it's either "not far enough" or "about right" - while the same report shows that 61% disapprove of "Government surveillance of American citizens". The same question asked two different ways yielded vastly different responses. The media (the majority of whom are Obama supporters) have managed to confuse the public and make this less about the fact that a modern KGB has been built, and more about whether or not people believe that Obama has good intentions with these programs.