…but has it gotten to a point where they’re really apples and oranges?
UPDATE: So, yes, there are a ton of polls and on the NSA controversy we’re getting seemingly contradictory signals. From our emails we see that each time we run a poll some readers assume that’s our view on that given poll as well. But you’ll notice a LOT of hedging on the conclusiveness of polling data so far — even in updates on some of the links provided within the post that we linked to above.
The fact is, on the NSA database collection poll results so far have varied, with approve/disapprove margins that also vary.
Here’s the latest one from USA Today:
A majority of Americans disapprove of a massive Pentagon database containing the records of billions of phone calls made by ordinary citizens, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. About two-thirds are concerned that the program may signal other, not-yet-disclosed efforts to gather information on the general public.
The survey of 809 adults Friday and Saturday shows a nation wrestling with the balance between fighting terrorism and protecting civil liberties.
By 51%-43%, those polled disapprove of the program, disclosed Thursday in USA TODAY. The National Security Agency has been collecting phone records from three of the nation’s largest telecommunication companies since soon after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Most of those who approve of the program say it violates some civil liberties but is acceptable because “investigating terrorism is the more important goal.”
So it’ll be a few more days before (a) we can see there is a definitive trend in how the program is being received (b) we can say there is a definitive impact (one way or another) on George Bush’s job approval rating.
But stay tuned. One thing we can assure you: there will be more polls with more (perhaps contradictory) answers…
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.