Poll: Obama's Speech Buoyed Public Support

President Obama attempt to explain his plans for health care reform to the American public Wednesday night appear to have been successful — to some extent.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

A CBS News poll shows that Americans now give him the best marks of his presidency on handling health care, but they're still divided over whether he's clearly explained his plan. And only 22 percent of those asked said the reforms now being considered would help them personally.

The day after Mr. Obama's congressional address, CBS re-interviewed 678 adults first questioned in a poll conducted August 27-31.

(CBS)

Last week, just 40 percent of these adults approved of how the president was handling health care. More, 47 percent, disapproved. After the speech, 52 percent said they approved and only 38 percent said they disapproved. Those are the best assessments for Mr. Obama's handling of health care shown all year by CBS News Polls.

President Obama's speech was particularly successful in unifying Democrats. Now, 85 percent of them approve of his handling of health care.

Approval rates also rose among independents and Republicans, but independents are still divided and only 17 percent of Republicans approve of the president's health care actions.

(CBS)

However, a majority of all adults still aren't sure he has met one important goal; clarifying what reforms would mean — although there has been major improvement. Before the speech, just 33 percent said Mr. Obama had clearly explained his plans for reform. That rose to 42 percent afterward, but 43 percent still said he had not clearly explained his plans.

All of the improvement on this question came from those who watched the speech. A majority of those who watched the speech, 58 percent, said the president had explained his plans, up from 40 percent before the speech. But among those who didn't watch, only one in four now say he has explained his plans — the same percentage as before the speech.

CBSNews.com Poll Database

(CBS)

Still, most Americans remain skeptical about how reforms currently under consideration in Congress would affect them personally. Just 22 percent of Americans think the reforms under consideration in Congress would help them personally. Twenty-seven percent think the new plans would hurt them. Those numbers have hardly changed at all since last week.

More From the Poll:

Support for Public Option Grows

Read the Complete Poll




Full CBSNews.com coverage of the president's speech on health care:

Obama Tells Congress to Stop Bickering
Full Video Full Transcript Speech Highlights
GOP Response: "It's Time to Start Over"
Marc Ambinder: Will Obama's Sales Job Work?
Mark Knoller: Obama Willing to Compromise - Up to a Point
Was Obama Clear on the Public Option?
Ted Kennedy's Letter to Obama
Rep. Wilson Apologizes for Obama Speech Outburst
Analysis: The Road Ahead for Health Care

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This poll was conducted by telephone on September 10, 2009 among 648 adults first interviewed by CBS News August 27-31, 2009. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus four percentage points. While the error for subgroups is higher, the error on measures of individual change is smaller.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

[msaharley]

I would like to see a public health care plan, I have great respect for Medicare, which is different from Medicaid, I think that many people do not know the difference. Medicare is what we all have, rich or poor after we get to 65 years/67 years of age, or are on total social security disability. We have already paid for those benifets when we have worked and it was taken out of our check. Medicare works, it is just tough to pay the 20% copay at the doctors or the 989. copay when we go into the hospital. It is expensive to get supplimental insurance for Medicare and it costs 98.00 a month out of Social Security check for the Medicare pemium that covers the Hospital A benifit. Otherwise the Medicare, PUBLIC plan is wonderful, and has little paperwork, the caseworkers when you call are all very professional and they live in the US> My sister is using a private health care program, she pays 500.00 a month for her and her family. She talks to someone in another country when she has a problem with her billing. I hope that people see that there is nothing wrong with a public oppurtunity to get our health insurance, I also do not see a problem with taxing soft drinks, as they taxed ciggarettes. There are at least 6 teaspoons of sugar in each pepsi, and the surgar industry uses child labor to produce the sugar. I do not think that they should tax fruit drinks that have vitamin c in them. I also would like those that are still reading know that Congress just gave themselves a pay raise. They also increased their Congressional spending budget, and squeezed it into the bill that paid the end of year bills. I think that is a joke on us and we did not get to vote on that.. I hope you all have the phone-email addresses of congress, if not I think that CBS can give that info to us. Thanks for being active and being on your toes when it comes to our wonderful country.

[ferdy2266]

Many people appear to denegrate socialized medicine, but some simple facts are hard to swallow.

There is a free national health service in England. Also there is health insurance, like here in the US, plus you can just pay cash. So there are options. All this for only 20% income tax for the vast majority of tax payers.

Here in the US there is no free socialized medicine, but we have to pay around 30% income tax. All this for a health insurance system that most consider a national scam that is far greater than a Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme.

Socialized medicine may not be the best system, but having it and a 10% reduction in taxes and then not having to pay $0,000 per month to the insurance vampires looks very appealing.

[firecracker2]

I worked in a hospital for over 40 years and every day the ER was full of illegal aliens and minorities, not one of them ever being turned down for treatment or hospitilization. They are already covered, they just don't have to pay for it. We do.... Cracker? Isn't that racist?

[irvindan]

It seems to have escaped the attention of many that illegal immigration slowed with the recession. I believe wealth of both material and liberty will always be at the risk of immigration. I argue it is the small cost of greatness. Sacrificing individual rights with profiling and other practices only scars our ideals of equality and justice. Greatness will NEVER come from protectionism, cynicism and fear.

[eydie57]

i don't understand why people don't understand the president when he lays out his health care plan in plain english. on the other hand, the average iq in america is only 100. is it possible that most people simply aren't smart enough to understand it? i'm stumped because obama couldn't have been clearer. whether you agree with him or not, not to understand what he said indicates a problem with your intellect.

[tjhappy]

I think this poll is biase and that Obama does Oprah proud he is a good speaker and an even better LIAR. I hate that after 8 years he was the one commemorating 9/11. The Lady Liberty is crying....

[irvindan]

Great stuff Colonel but don't get consumed in bitterness.

I suppose I'm viewed as a lefty physician but what I really want to see is an intellectual debate. Disagreement is healthy if it promotes full examination of the issues.

Intelligent Republicans, and I do believe they are out there, need to STEP UP. The Party should be led by people like David Gergen and George Will instead of Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter. Seriously, what can Rebpublicans possibly be proud of in the last decade?

Voters need to embrace facts above distortion and fear mongering and instead elevate their expectations!! Otherwise, we are doomed to worsening mediocrity...or worse.

[bastokyg]

My concern is more general: 22% said the legislation would help them. Is that all we care about anymore, how something affects me? Those who have insurance now seem to forget that nothing stays the same, and today you could be all unaffected, while tomorrow you could be without work, money or insurance and then what do you do? Oops.

What about people who are not as well off? Shouldn't we be looking out for each other? What about the potential entrepreneurs out there who might come up with the next energy saving device if they could afford to quit their jobs and still be able to have their families covered should they get sick? This is more than about me. It's about improving the physical and perhaps spiritual health of our country.

[rightwingidiot]

Do you people honesty believe that you can insure more people and not add any additional cost while providing better coverage for everyone at the same time? Well If the president said it it must be right. I think he comes across as immature, arrogant, and macho. Shut up everyone that disagrees with me I'm the president and I'm in power! Why would he call his opponents out in an address to congress? He was not addressing congress, he was addressing the people, to get his fallen ratings back up. Acting like a bully doesn't work. He did not make his plan more clear, he is just a gifted speaker and some people will believe everything they hear. And for the guy who shouted out. You lie, you are misrepresenting the opposing party. We need to get some more intelligent people on our side. But how did all of those crazy socialists get elected into the democratic side of the house?

[rightwingidiot]

If John f. Kennedy were to be president today, he would be looked at as a conservative.

[hungry1968-16]

by jgg0009 September 11, 2009 2:56 PM EDT
the loophole is in the text which allows people who are currently in this country illegally to obtain free healthcare when an amnesty bill is passed. There is no direct language that addresses "citizenship".
The police don't question citizenship. Do you think doctors will?







Care to point out the section of the law that contains this alleged "loophole"?

An since when don't the police care about citizenship?

[hungry1968-16]

Isn't it amazing that Fox reports that "because of Joe Wilson, the loophole that would have given free care to illegals, is going to be closed", but when you ask "which loophole", NO ONE can answer you?