A week or so ago there was a discussion about the politics of the Patriot Act here. There is a story in Sunday's LA Times on this, which concludes that the Act is a net plus for Bush -- and that public support for it has been growing, not declining. The article notes that Kerry has been toning down his rhetoric about the Act.
Despite Criticism, Patriot Act Gaining Popularity
(LA Times article, reprinted by the no-registration required Seattle Times)
Some key quotes:
The Patriot Act is proving to be more popular in opinion polls than once expected, given its diverse range of critics. Also, both Democratic and Republican strategists now believe public debate over the Patriot Act and other aspects of the nation's response to terrorism only enhance Bush's national-security credentials while threatening to paint Kerry as soft on terrorism
...
While the president's numbers have sagged on issues such as the economy and the war in Iraq, a Washington Post/ABC News survey found that 63 percent approved of the president's handling of the war on terrorism. In a Gallup Poll conducted for CNN and USA Today, more than twice as many respondents said they thought Bush would do a "good job" on terrorism as thought Kerry would.
And while polls have shown that certain aspects of the Patriot Act are unpopular when they are explained to voters, responses to broader questions suggest general support for the law.
More than six in 10 respondents to a February Gallup/CNN/USA Today survey said the law is just about right or does not go far enough, while only about one-fourth said it goes too far.
...
Experts believe the law will grow in popularity, at least in the short term, as dramatic pictures of bomb blasts in Iraq, Spain and Saudi Arabia heighten fear of another attack in the United States
I'd have to agree with that last assessment. So long as our focus is on security issues, the anti-terror angle of the Patriot Act is going to outweigh the civil-liberties angle with the majority of voters.