Rasmussen-> Speech Bounce Evaporates, Health Care Approval at Pre-Speech Levels

Last week President Obama made a prime-time television speech trying to turn around the lousy public opinion of his Obamacare health care plan, and it worked for a while (although not as big as the phony CNN poll). According to a new poll released by Rasmussen, that bounce the POTUS got from his speech evaporated almost as quickly as it appeared. In fact approval of his heath care plan has returned to the pre-speech levels.

Forty-five percent of  voters  favor the plan while 52% are opposed. A week ago, before the speech, 44% supported the proposal and 53% were opposed:

Date	Approve	Disapprove
Sep 13-14	45%	52%
Sep 12-13	51%	46%
Sep 11-12	48%	48%
Sep 10-11	47%	49%
Sep 9-10	46%	51%
Sept 8-9	44%	53%
Aug 25-26	43%	53%
Aug 9-10	42%	53%
Jul 26-27	47%	49%
Jul 20-21	44%	53%
Jul 10-11	46%	49%
Jun 27-28	50%	45%

The latest figures show that 23% Strongly Favor the plan and 41% are Strongly Opposed. In late August, 23% were strongly in favor of the plan and 43% were strongly opposed.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll is another indicator of the speech's impact, and there, too, the bounce in approval Obama has been getting since the Wednesday night speech appears to have ended as Presidential disapproval increased back up to 50% in the latest poll.

Fifty-one percent (51%) now say that health care reform is at least somewhat likely to pass this year. That figure includes 18% who say passage is Very Likely. In a survey Sunday night, 55% said the plan was at least somewhat likely to pass this year. That was the highest total yet recorded.


If the plan passes, 27% of voters now say the quality of care will get better and 46% say it will get worse. In August, the numbers were 23% better and 50% worse.


Forty-seven percent (47%) say passage of the plan will make the cost of health care go up while 20% say it will make costs go down. In August, 52% thought the plan would lead to higher costs, and only 17% thought it would achieve the stated goal of lowering costs.


Prior to the president's speech, most people with insurance said it’s likely they would be forced to change coverage if the plan passes. As Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, explained in a recent Wall Street Journal column: “The most important fundamental is that 68% of American voters have health insurance coverage they rate good or excellent … Most of these voters approach the health care reform debate fearing that they have more to lose than to gain.”


Voters overwhelmingly believe that every American should be able to buy the same health insurance plan that Congress has. Most favor limits on jury awards for medical malpractice claims and think that tort reform will significantly reduce the cost of health care.