In anticipation of the Roberts hearings, Republican pollster David Winston asked a question to measure public sentiment on one of the most contentious issues to come up in the sessions:

When you think of the right to privacy, what comes closer to how you think of that right?
A) The right to be free from government intrusion — including private phone calls, private mail, private medical and financial information, and the right to raise your children as you see fit.
B) The right to make decisions free from government interference, such as the right to choose abortion.

In the survey, done in August, 66 percent of those polled chose answer A, while 26 percent chose answer B. Breaking down respondents by category, 75 percent of Republicans chose A, while 15 percent chose B; 64 percent of Independents chose A, while 27 percent chose B; and 55 percent of Democrats chose A, while 38 percent chose B. Of women surveyed, 63 percent chose A, while 29 percent chose B.