Fighting the NSA has hurt Rand Paul

Libertarians and leftists have sought to make a big deal out of the Snowden revelations, and tried to shut down NSA surveillance. One politician, Rand Paul, has made it his signature issue in his campaign for President.

And yet this issue gets very little public support. Paul's poll numbers have declined to where he is just getting support from libertarian Republicans who liked his father.

There are professors who say that this issue is important, but I have not heard any of them endorse Rand Paul. Cryptographers pretend to be shocked, but nearly all of the NSA activities were known to them.

My conclusion is the great majority of the public approves of the NSA surveillance. No one has given an example that offends people. Rand seems like a phony idealist who is not prepared to do what needs to be done to combat national adversaries.

I am not opposing privacy here. I would like to see laws strengthening our privacy rights. But those complaining about the NSA seem to be ignoring 99% of the privacy threats to us.