If I’m a thoughtful, informed conservative with legitimate concerns about President Obama’s healthcare proposal -- and I’m sure there are millions of such people, many of whom are turning out for these town halls and behaving appropriately -- I’d be infuriated right now because my measured voice and thoughtful objections are being lumped together with the fevered, incoherent complaints of a few.

In a survey of 1,000 adults taken Tuesday, 34% say the sometimes heated protests at sessions held by members of Congress have made them more sympathetic to the protesters' views; 21% say they are less sympathetic.

Independents by 2-1, 35%-16%, say they are more sympathetic to the protesters now.