On the evening the Supreme Court announced its landmark decision on the Second Amendment and gun control issues, 68% of voters said they followed news coverage of the story Somewhat or Very Closely. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 64% of all voters knew that the Court overturned the Washington, DC law banning handguns in the city limits. Only 9% of all voters mistakenly thought the Justices had ruled in favor of the city law.

Among those who knew how the Court ruled, 63% agreed with the decision and 25% disagreed. These attitudes are very similar to results found in polls conducted before the Court ruling. Prior to the ruling on gun control, public approval of the Supreme Court had declined rapidly over the past month. Just 26% of voters said the Justices were doing a good or an excellent job.

By a 58% to 8% margin, voters believe that John McCain agrees with the Court ruling. Voters are evenly divided on Barack Obama’s view—43% believe the Democrat’s presumptive nominee disagreed with the ruling while 41% think he agreed.

On Obama, there were significant partisan differences. By a 62% to 21% margin, Republicans think Obama believes the city should have had the right to ban handguns. By a 61% to 25% margin, Democrats think that Obama believes the ban should have been overturned. Unaffiliated voters are evenly divided.

Obama continues to enjoy a modest lead over McCain nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

The survey found that older voters were more likely than younger voters to follow news of the Supreme Court ruling. Among voters under 30, just 45% followed the news somewhat or very closely. Among those over 65, 74% followed the story.

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Republicans paid attention along with 66% of Democrats. Forty percent (40%) of Republicans followed the story Very Closely. Just 28% of Democrats were that interested.

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