From the article:
Similar to the NSF study, support for NASA comes mainly from the best-educated, highest-income Americans, men and whites.

This says a lot to me. Most Americans don't know diddle about our solar system, the universe and space in general. I was at the Chabot Observatory among a large crowd waiting my turn to view M3 (again) through the 20" refractor and couldn't believe the stories I was hearing from the general public. After explaining to them that the planets orbit differently from the stars and that the stars were very far away and not in our solar system the group thought I was making it all up. Although I did get a thumbs up and a laugh from a couple.

How many times did we all defended space programs and the need for space research on the MSNBC board and others, from people who think the money should be spent on them here on Earth?

From the article:
There is general, lukewarm agreement by the public on three space matters, the Ipsos-Reid found. "They continue to believe the space program is important to America's future; feel the space program has delivered practical benefits up to this point; and deem important its mission as part of the International Space Station."

Well, all is not lost, yet. Will the warranted cutbacks and dropping of programs by Okeefe aide in the cooling off of the general publics view of NASA? In the short run, probably.

NASA's PR needs a boost and a new strategy.
SteveS