This lack of familiarity, despite all the publicity over the past few weeks, could severely hamper liberals’ efforts to mobilize opposition to the Texas legislation. It also could incentivize copycat legislation in other states, if Republicans conclude that retribution at the ballot box is unlikely.

This is good news for Republicans. But here’s the good news for Democrats: Once respondents were made aware of the citizen enforcement provisions in the Texas law, they offered a laundry list of objections:

“This is like big brother’s watching us. . . . You’re interfering with other people’s private lives. . . . This is unconstitutional—I’m sorry. You’re asking us to spy on each other,” complained Gerard, 50, from Wayne County, Michigan.

Chris, 27, from Dallas, agreed: “It’s the ‘Red Scare’ all over again.”…

Carly, 33, from Anoka County, Minnesota, took it a step further still: “I mean this might make somebody suicidal. . . . If you advise your child to get an abortion, you can get sued for that? That’s extreme. I mean that’s kind of taking away our rights, isn’t it?”