Instant Polling On Obama's Speech
This column was written by CBS News Early Show Co-Anchor Harry Smith.
The instant polling after President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress last night showed that a majority of Americans liked what they heard.
I sat with a mini-focus group of New Yorkers who were in various states of trouble because the economy:
A young college grad, who just lost her job; An entrepreneurial couple who had to lay off 26 of their 30 employees; a consultant who hasn't had a contract since last fall.
All of them agreed that the president met or exceeded their expectations but, some groaned when the president said he'd identified $2 trillion dollars in waste. Someone asked: "What congressperson is going to volunteer to have a program cut in their neighborhood?"
A young man who is at risk of losing his house wanted to know, "How is he going to make sure that the banks really do act in good faith in resetting mortgages?"
They each agreed that the president gets it - how tough these times are. But they also agreed they don't expect much help soon.
By Harry Smith