Poll: John Roberts more popular among liberals than conservatives

PAUL J. RICHARDS

CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.

(CBS News) Most Americans are unfamiliar with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts or have no opinion of him. However, in the wake of Roberts' decision to side with liberals on the court and uphold President Obama's health care law, a new CBS News/ New York Times poll shows that the conservative justice is more popular among liberals than conservatives.

Among Americans overall, 73 percent have no opinion or are undecided about Roberts, according to the poll, conducted July 11-16. Fourteen percent have a favorable view of him while 12 percent have an unfavorable view.

Among self-identified conservatives, just nine percent have a favorable view of Roberts, who was appointed to the high court by President George W. Bush. Twice as many, 18 percent, have an unfavorable view. Among liberals, 13 percent have a positive view of Roberts while 8 percent have an unfavorable view. Twenty percent of moderates approve of the chief justice.

CBS

Overall views of the Supreme Court have declined slightly in the aftermath of the health care ruling. Among Americans overall, voters are now split, with 41 percent who approve of the court and 41 percent who disapprove. Another 18 percent have no opinion or don't know. In May of this year, 44 percent approved while 36 percent disapprove.

Among Republicans and conservatives, more now disapprove of the job the Supreme Court is doing (52 percent) than did so before the landmark ruling (35 percent). The views of Democrats and independents changed little.

The public is divided on the Supreme Court decision itself: 46 percent think the decision to uphold most of the law was a good thing, while 41 percent think it was bad.

While views on the decision may be mixed, more than half of Americans (53 percent) think the court's decision was based mostly on personal and political views, rather than legal analysis. Majorities of Republicans and independents hold this view, but Democrats are split.

Still, the court's ruling does not appear to have changed overall opinions of the health care law very much: more still disapprove than approve of the law. Overall, 50 percent of voters said they disapprove of the law, 36 percent approve.

As to what Congress should do about the health care law, a third of Americans say it should be kept as is or expanded, 27 percent think only the individual mandate should be repealed, while 34 percent would like Congress to repeal the entire law.

CBS

Politically, 55 percent of voters say the court's ruling will make no difference in their vote for president this November. Among those for whom it matters, 28 percent say the ruling makes them more likely to vote for Romney, while 13 percent say it makes them more likely to back Mr. Obama. The issue of the court's ruling on health care is more of a motivator for Romney supporters than it is for those who are backing the president.

When it comes to another policy debate - whether or not to extend President Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts - the poll found that 49 percent of Americans agree with Mr. Obama that they should be extended for households earning less than $250,000. Another 27 percent would like to see the tax cuts extended for everyone, while 17 percent want them to expire for all. Americans' views were largely the same when CBS News asked this question in a November 2010 poll.

There are differences by party, with most Democrats and nearly half of independents supporting the president's proposal, while a plurality of Republicans want the tax cuts continued for everyone.

MORE FROM THE POLL:

Most say Romney policies favor the rich

Most say Obama policies contributed to downturn

Obama, Romney in dead heat in presidential race

VP choice matters to most voters

Read The Complete Poll

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This poll was conducted by telephone from July 11-16, 2012 among 1,089 adults nationwide.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

[DOGGYPANTS]

Roberts has caused my middle-class health care costs to sky rocket because Obama's IRS Plan is raising my taxes, and hurting my income.
Roberts - makes me want to throw up.

[davidinthed]

Roberts blew it. As conservatives have (rightly) turned their back on him in droves, I'm betting that he'll do the same and buddy up with the LIBs. Who else will love him now? Have fun, Mr. Roberts.

[vitaglubet]

Not surprising since Chief Justice Roberts has fundamentally gutted the constitution which he and the congress pledged to uphold.

[Hillbilly_54th]

Robert's, your a Jackass, enough said.........

[jpdunlop]

It's really not hard at all to gain the love and admiration of moderates and leftists. Just do what they tell you to do - presto!

[mmmilesll]

This nobamacare decision will haunt Roberts the rest of his time on the Court, as well it should.

[EllieEnlightened]

The funny thing is the minute he votes next time conservative the libs will be calling him names again. I can't stand that John Roberts REWROTE the bill in order to pass it. I hope he sleeps well at night for what he did the American people.

[flashprism]

Well I was was so pleased to see a catholic strict constructonist on the Supreme Court I actually felt this was the only major action Bush had accomplished that redeemed his wasted 8 years of war, skyrocketing deficets and pharma benefit etc. Well quess what I firmly beieve that Roberts is an idiot or he was bought and paid for by the thugs from Chicago like the corn husker kick back or the Luisiana Purchase. Critical concepts such as these cannot be changed on a whim. John Roberts you are a disgrace and I Hope our Lord affords you all the benefits that are due a deceptive, shallow, low life human being,

[hilhol]

I Have No Respect for Roberts..Will vote Against Obama Health Care NOV 6th...Whin I vote NO for Obama.
I find it AMAZING that Obama accepted the Tax gimic to get the bill through The Supreme Court HOWEVER he now says NO it is not a TAX....
Would someone EXPLAIN this thinking....
My health care will be cut as a Senior to Insure Illegals...Not happy with that at all.

[bunabeans]

If people in America do not turn their hearts back to God there will be more fires, flood, tornadoes, drought, hail and winds than the year before. There is an ordinance that has been put into place that God will cause men to be blind and think that it is global warming.

[IntellectOne]

No, your Senior healthcare will be cut because the Affordable Healthcare Tax Law will be paying for everybody's uncontrolled sexual proclivities Example:, Abortifactients, Elective Abortions on Demand (full-term) and Sterilizations. There are 700,000 sterilizations per year at an average cost of $3,750.00 each, this would add up to ($2,150.000,000) Two Billion One-Hundred Fifty Million Dollars. Another example; there are 4,800 Elective abortions each and every day in the USA. That would add up to Approx. 1.5 million a year, which would add up to ($5,250,000,000.00) Five Billion Two-Hundred Fifty Million Dollars. Over (6) Six Billion is a lot of money. This does not even include the Venereal Diseases, AIDs, that illicit sex produces (and is getting harder to treat because diseases are mutating), getting more difficult to give medical treatment; causes higher costs. Also, the (6) Billion Dollars Plus does not include the cost of Abortifacients, (Birth Control-Pills IUDs etc...) Everybody should be responsible for their own sexual matters. Taxes and forced Insurance purchases should not have to provide the financing of every-bodies' sexual activities. . Plus there is also the emotional and mental health problems due to abortions. The human and financial costs are staggering , mentally and physically for society. Physicians across America -- and around the world -- are now confirming that the Pill, IUDs, Depo-Provera and Norplant cause early abortions. There are approx. 62 million women of childbearing age in the USA. Approx. 38,440,000 (Thirty Eight Million Four-Hundred Forty Thousand) women using birth-control pills, IUDs, etc.. The taxpayer, every Man, Woman and Child (through the government programs) and the insurance companies (via the premiums's benefits) will now be forced to provide the financing for all these reprehensible pills and the above horrific procedures; killing the innocent helpless unborn in the Mother's Womb. Every man, woman and child are now forced, under this "Affordable Healthcare Tax" to finance all of the consequences of others sexual activities, by being forced to purchase Health Insurance. What in the world was Chief Justice ,John Roberts, thinking when he sided with this Bad Policy and Bad Law?

[soylentcorp]

I've been telling people for the past decade- George W Bush is a liberal but lives & thinks conservatively. Libs keep shouting neo-con, (which actually means ex-liberal), and Cons keep shouting big govt spender (instead of liberal). The appointment of John Roberts further confirms what us Rockefeller Republicans been talking about. Your welcome.

[IntellectOne]

Rockefeller Republicans? Wasn't Rockefeller real thick with Hilary Clinton on the Healthcare Issues? In Recollecting' Same, mindless mindset that is currently in Senate, White House, and Obviously in the Supreme Court. The Bills are not read before "Deemed" Passed by Congress, Promoted by the White House, and Sanctioned into Law by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.