Even though there was a lot of hyperventilating about how the original rule requiring employers to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives as part of free preventive care might hurt President Obama politically, the reality is the vast majority of the country supports the idea. From CBS News polling:

According to a survey, conducted between Feb. 8-13, 61 percent of Americans support federally-mandated contraception coverage for religiously-affiliated employers; 31 percent oppose such coverage.

The number is similar among self-professed Catholics surveyed: 61 percent said they support the Obama administration’s rule, while 32 percent oppose it.

Majorities of both men and women said they are in favor of the rule, though support among women is especially pronounced, with 66 percent supporting and 26 percent opposing it. Among men, 55 percent of men are in favor; 38 percent object.

It is important to note that this poll was asking about the original rule, which was clearly popular enough that no “compromise” should have been needed. Now that Obama has announced his compromise, and it has managed to satisfy at least some Catholic institutions, I imagine support for the new policy is marginally higher.

This birth control issue was never a political trap or massive misstep by the Administration, as some like Peggy Noonan and others claimed. The rule did not hurt Obama’s standing with Catholic voters. The concept was always broadly popular with the American people.

Finally, the poll shows roughly one third of the people questioned opposed the rule, but they likely consist of individuals who would never even consider voting for Obama anyway.