Weigel

Poll: Are Voters Actually Okay With GOP Contraception Legislation?

A Republican sends on this section of the CBS/NYT poll. Voters are asked whether they support, basically, the Blunt-Rubio amendment that every Republican candidate backs and every Democratic strategist thinks he can spin into gold. Screen shot 2012-03-13 at 9.21.05 AM That’s not what conventional wisdom was telling us! Voters say they don’t want to mandate “the full cost” of birth control coverage for employees of any company, which is a clever way of asking it; what would the answer be if the insurers merely offered copays? A follow-up question suggests that voters really do think there’s a rights issue here.
Screen shot 2012-03-13 at 9.21.15 AM That’s only 37 percent who agree with the Republican defense of their position – that it’s a slippery slope, First Amendment issue – and 51 percent who generally disagree with mandates. A muddle. I’m not sure which party wins this one, but the Democratic stance is probably easier to finesse.