Hart Research is a Democratic polling firm, but it’s been around for decades and has a lot of respect. So the poll numbers they’re reporting can probably be discounted somewhat, but still should be taken seriously. From The Hill:

Sixty-seven percent of voters said that they had a favorable opinion of the plan when it was described to them, and 28 percent had an unfavorable view in the poll conducted by Hart Research Associates for Americans United for Change, a liberal group.

The results of the poll vary by party affiliation.

An overwhelming 91 percent of Democrats favored the plan as it was described to them, as did 67 percent of independent voters.

Fifty-one percent of Republicans did not favor the plan.

Hart conducted the poll on Nov. 19-20, so much of the response came before Obama’s announcement on the night of Nov. 20. However, details about Obama’s actions had been trickling out.

It would be foolish to read too much in to early polls on this initiative, but the backlash many were predicting is certainly not reflected in these numbers. I’m guessing the Republicans are doing a lot of their own internal polling to help determine strategy. If the public is taking the President’s action is stride, I’m guessing we’re not going to see a government shutdown or the threatened paralysis that many have been promising.