I have plenty of antidotal evidence that women are no more supportive of manned Moon mission than they are of manned Mars mission. Also many people bring up the "trillion" dollar cost of a manned Mars mission at each outreach event we have. I note you made no attempt to explain away the July 2003 poll that has the opposite results to the Gallup Polls done by a respected research firm (ICR/International Communications Research)!

This quote below is also supported by my experiences with the public. But, it also shows how you can change the answer to a question by asking it the 'right' way.

From the Dittmar Associates 2004 Aldridge Summary.PDF

Most Americans have no idea what percentage of federal funding is accorded to NASA each year. Responses to the issue of cost were manipulated in the study by first asking respondents about cost and about whether they thought NASA funding should remain the same, decrease, or increase. The first time the question was asked without reference to the actual budget allocations, participants “voted” for maintaining, decreasing or increasing the NASA budget in very similar percentages: 35% felt it should be retained at current levels, 30% felt it should be increased, and 35% felt it should be decreased. Respondents were then presented with the percentage of the federal budget represented by NASA’s current budget request, described as “less than 1% - approximately 7/10 of 1% - of the federal budget”, and asked again about funding levels. A shift occurred, with 42% now supporting an increase, 29% suggesting it remain at current levels, and 29% supporting a decrease in funding. These results not only illustrate the well-known sensitivity of individuals to the phrasing of research questions, but also suggest the American public would support an increase in NASA’s funding relative to the rest of the U.S. budget.