Support Up for Gay Marriage, Down for Abortion

Support for gay marriage is up, but the same isn't true for abortion, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. The survey of 1,000 people found 53% in favor of allowing gays and lesbians to marry, up two points since December (it notes the rise is within the poll's margin of error); opposition to gay marriage was also up two points, to 42%. An interesting and substantial jump: 79% said they know or work with someone who is gay, up 14 points since the December poll.

But in a big switch from January's poll, the majority has flipped on the subject of abortion: 52% say abortion should be illegal, versus 45% who think it should be legal "always" or "most of the time." In a speech from last night that's getting a bit of buzz, Paul Ryan addressed the issue. The key lines, per the AP:

• We "need to work with people who consider themselves pro-choice—because our task isn't to purge our ranks. It's to grow them. ... We don't want a country where abortion is simply outlawed. We want a country where it isn't even considered."

(More NBC/WSJ Poll stories.)