90% Want Gun Background Checks

Looks like President Obama was right when he said the majority of Americans support universal background checks for gun buyers—in a huge way. A whopping 90% of the public supports the idea, according to a new New York Times/CBS News poll, including 95% of Independents, 93% of Democrats, and 89% of Republicans. Even NRA members overwhelmingly supported the idea. Overall, only 7% said they actively opposed background checks.

The poll also indicates, however, that the public agrees with the NRA's proposal to protect schools with armed guards, with roughly three-quarters of respondents saying they would help prevent mass shootings to at least some degree, and only a quarter saying they would do little or nothing to help. (More poll numbers stories.)