Posted on 02/23/2012 12:33:16 PM PST by SeekAndFind
More than half of American voters – 54 percent -- approve of President Obama’s compromise that would have insurance companies pay for birth control for employees of religious-affiliated institutions, according to the latest Quinnipiac University national poll, released on Thursday. Just 38 percent said they disapproved, the telephone poll of 2,605 registered voters found. The survey, conducted last week at the height of the controversy over the new policy, suggests that Democrats have the upper hand in defining the issue as one of women’s health, as opposed to Republican efforts to frame it as religious freedom.
More than half of men, 52 percent, approved of the administration’s compromise, while women approved by 56 percent to 34 percent. White Protestants split 46 to 46 percent while 48 percent of white Catholics disapproved. Seventy five percent of Democrats like the plan, 56 percent of self-identified Independents said they did, while Republicans disapproved by 63 to 32 percent.
Voters said by a margin of 71 percent to 24 percent that health insurance plans should cover birth control, but they split almost evenly, 47 percent to 48 percent, on whether the government should make private employers provide insurance that covers free birth control. And more than half of voters, 55 percent, say abortion should be legal.
On a related issue, voters also side with the Democrats and Planned Parenthood. Republican lawmakers on the state and federal level have been trying to take funding away from the group because it provides abortion and abortion advice along with many other health care services. But the Quinnipiac survey found 55 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of Planned Parenthood and just 22 percent said they didn’t. Sixty percent oppose cutting federal funding to the group and this number rose to more than 80 percent if voters were asked if they would support the cut if they knew the money was going only for non-abortion health issues such as breast cancer screening.
In fact, this is the case – Planned Parenthood does not use federal money for abortion services.
On a separate issue, more voters than not say they hope the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the 2010 health reform law. The survey found 50 percent of voters think the law should be overturned, while 39 percent say it should not. The court hears oral arguments on legal challenges to the law in March.
Except the issue is an out of control Federal government.
If the democrat Party can win with that then America is truly screwed.
George Stephanopoulis threw out the bait, and the stupid republicans swallowed it, hook, line and sinker. Obama and the press define the issues anyway they want.
Great point. I hope you’re right.
I’m absolutely stunned by this poll. If the communists were able to pull the wool over the sheeple’s eyes on this unconstitutional power grab, just think what other plans they have knocking around in their little minds.
This is a classic change the issue/deflection tactic.
Losing on abortion all over the place.
Trying to refocus on a non-issue by trying to make it an issue.
Just don’t fall for it.
If things that prevent children are a right, then aren’t things that promote children also a right? Like free govt diapers and free govt baby food and free govt daycare?
Since when? And since when does a right mean something is therefore automatically “FREE”? If that’s the case I want government to start buying my guns and ammo, at least 1 a week.
I do not know one Republican woman who does not agree that the dems will win re: the birth control issue. And not one of them did not use birth control. This is a no win situation for us. We have to get off this subject.
This issue has been so twisted by the MSM. It has nothing to do with Catholics or birth control. It has to do with the government telling private institutions what their health care plans have to provide. Period.
I know that is what you are referring to. But friends have seen video of Santorum saying if elected he will give every state the right to ban birth control. Also, another video where he said birth control gives women the freedom to have sex for more than the two reasons they are supposed to. Conjugal rights of their husbands and for procreation. This is not helpful. Though this is not part of the Republican platform it does hurt us with women. All women.
Rat pollsters never called the republicans taking back the house in the numbers they did, nor did the rat propagandists see the take-over of 26 state legislatures by patriots.
These phoney polls are designed to depress the conservatives, nothing more.
I agree. Those kinds of statements, assuming they’re in context, are not helpful. My statement applies to every issue not just birth control. Defenders of freedom need to do a better job of reframing issues. Too often we accept the ridiculous MSM premise that if you’re not for forcing people to subsidize something then you’re “against” it.
Absolutely. I agree with your statement about if we are not subsidizing it we are against it...the statements are in context. I have seen the videos. Unfortunately. I was relieved last night to see how little time the birth control issue was given. Also, that Gingrich changed the context and steered it away from Santorum’s personal comments. No one I know, Repubs or Dems, or in favour of the govt telling any church they have to subsidize anything. Period.
Do you hear that friends? Americans approve of a government pushing around people with religious convictions and violating their First Amendment rights.
Oh, I bet they don’t....
Gingrich was brilliant last night. He figured out the the MSM playbook. He reframed John King’s ridiculous questions, and refused to allow him to protect Obama by getting Republicans to fight.
He was great. He held himself above the fray and won the night. Good for him.
Do me a favor, tell all your “Republican women friends” to buy their own trojans and we can all be happy.
That's what folks are missing and why I detest polls. A slick pollster can get any result he wants from a dumbed down public.
Democrats seem to want to talk about “Women’s reproductive rights” and thats fine. We just need to respond (as Newt did) by reminding everyone about Obama’s extereme position on infanticide as a state senator (one of his few votes othere than “present”). Do this every time and the subject will change quickly!
Democrats seem to want to talk about “Women’s reproductive rights” and thats fine. We just need to respond (as Newt did) by reminding everyone about Obama’s extereme position on infanticide as a state senator (one of his few votes othere than “present”). Do this every time and the subject will change quickly!
They do not want to use “trojans” nor do they want anyone else, esp the church, and some of these are Catholics, to buy their birth control. They want to choose their own method and they want to pay for them themselves.
This poll cannot be accurate - unless all the other polls about abortion have been phony.
It has been widely reported that the general public no longer approves of abortion - of course that does not mean that they want it to be illegal, but it would imply one of two things: The folks conducting the poll are trying to imply that if most do not want to outlaw abortion, then they must condone it; or they perhaps deliberately phrased the questions vaguely so the respondents had only two possible choices for an inadequately phrased question.
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