Via WaPo: Filibuster Rule Change Opposed
But by a 2 to 1 ratio, the public rejected easing Senate rules in a way that would make it harder for Democratic senators to prevent final action on Bush’s nominees. Even many Republicans were reluctant to abandon current Senate confirmation procedures: Nearly half opposed any rule changes, joining eight in 10 Democrats and seven in 10 political independents, the poll found.
On the one hand, such a poll signals a possible political cost to be paid for any rules changes in the Senate. On the other, the odds that the respondents actually understand what they are being asked is pretty slim. Given that fact, accurately interpreting these poll results is rather hard to do, insofar as polls work best when there are high levels of information in the target population and the questions being asked are unambiguous in nature. I’m sorry, but the population doesn’t understand the rules of the Senate, or really what is at stake here, and certainly this poll is not asking a simply question like whether one likes vanilla or chocolate (or, for that matter, Bush or Kerry).
Further, the population writ large doesn’t know the history of the legislature or understand the filibuster itself beyond some vague association with Jimmy Stewart.