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Threat-level poll shows people still love their orange

Posted at 10:19 AM on January 31, 2011 by Bob Collins (8 Comments)

You just never know what's going to divide America. The color-coded security warning system -- the one that's been orange for years -- is the latest.

Rasmussen Research reports today that only 53% of those surveyed support dumping the system. Twenty-one percent are ~~undecided~~ opposed to its removal. Twenty-seven percent are undecided on the government's move to scrap the system.

Democrats are more likely to favor the government's decision. So are men, at least more than women.

When's the last time you paid any attention to it? And how many people know that the current threat level is both orange and yellow?

Comments (8)

I think you mean 21% are opposed, and then 27% are undecided. Also, whenever I'm in an airport and hear the threat level announcement, I'm always tempted to yell "That doesn't mean anything!" but refrain so as to remain un-tackled by security. Put me in the support getting rid of it camp.

Posted by Riordan Frost | January 31, 2011 10:46 AM

How about simplifying it? Seems like a decent thing to have in place (a la the Weather Service's advisory & warning systems), but 3 levels instead of 5.

Posted by Tyler | January 31, 2011 11:26 AM

Perhaps the reason why men are in favor of dumping the system is that more men than women are color blind...

Posted by G-Man | January 31, 2011 11:38 AM

Anyone expressing support for this system should be required to explain accurately what each level means before they are taken seriously.

Posted by John P. | January 31, 2011 12:07 PM

I don't know that I support scrapping the system. I think it would be nice if we used it first. Since the threat level hasn't been changed in the almost ten years that the system has been in place (unless you count the original everything is orange to only airports are orange change) you can't really know if it would work.

One of the arguments I've heard is that by changing the level to green or even blue, then changing it back to yellow or orange you alert the terrorists that we know something. Well isn't that the point? I mean if the system is designed to keep the American people informed and we are an open society then, yes, the bad guys will know when the rest of us know that the government has determined there is a possible threat.

Of course if the lower they the threat level and then don't raise it and an attempt is made then it looks like they don't really know what's going on.

So I guess scrapping the system is a better idea from the Government's standpoint because they don't need to "tip their hand" or be embarrassed when they miss something.

Posted by JackU | January 31, 2011 12:20 PM

"And how many people know that the current threat level is both orange and yellow?"

Is that good or bad? I recall that specific areas, i.e. some airports, might get a different rating than the overall; but I don't know what the difference is between yellow and orange. Is yellow the middle, orange slightly more dangerous & red is soil-your-pants time?

Posted by bsimon | January 31, 2011 2:17 PM

Don't dump it, just simplify it:

Red - WORRY
Green - DON'T WORRY

(Though the way things are going, we can probably go ahead and dump Green, too.)

Posted by bri-bri | January 31, 2011 2:31 PM

It is so far past time to get rid of those ridiculous alerts. Tom Ridge admitted last year that the terror alerts were used for political reasons. The whole thing is a sad joke.

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/tom-ridge-admits-terror-alerts-were-use

Posted by TJ | January 31, 2011 4:30 PM