An Unexpected Consequence of Snowden's Actions

Beyond David Cole's sobering discussion of whistle-blowing, which I discussed this past Tuesday, it occurred to me that there is at least one unexpected consequence of Edward Snowden's actions that has received almost no attention. I would stipulated that his whistle-blowing has made him a primary magnet for right-wing hate speech, which has even penetrated the "comment space" on CNET News. What this may mean is that, as long as Snowden remains a major figure in what the media thinks constitutes news, he will deflect some (probably much) of that hate speech away from Barack Obama. This, in turn, may make it easier for the White House to get its work done with less hassle.