Chris Cilizza: I think President Obama's speech today will dominate for the next 24 hours. He talked about regulatory reform, but if you read carefully in there, that speech is aimed at lots of people, a lot of his critics who say that the Obama administration is simply interested in growing government. He's basically saying that the government stepped in out of necessity to help these financial firms get back on their feet. now that they are, they have to take over because the government's job is not to control the financial institutions. It's sort of a subtle jab at people who are saying that all the Obama administration wants to do is take over government.

Mitchell: How does he thread this needle? We've been wrestling with this throughout the hour. Not bring the government more into people's lives, because people are pushing back so hard and that's been one of the problems in selling health care.

Cilizza: You know I think that's the central problem. I think you've nailed it. On health care there is so much skepticism from the 700 billion dollar stimulus package to some of the other things that have been put in place by the Obama administration.

What's hard is that people's perceptions are set in their ways. People have decided, many people, not everyone, but many people have decided that government is too involved in their lives, the debt is getting too big. It's crippling what the president is trying to do on health care, which is a difficult proposition in and of itself.

Leading Pollsters to Discuss Results of New Poll Showing Strong Momentum for President Obama’s Health Insurance Reform Proposal, Including a Public Option, Following Address to Congress

Washington D.C. – Americans United for Change will host a press conference call today, September 14th at 3PM EDT with leading pollsters to discuss a new poll today showing strong momentum for health insurance reform following President Obama’s address to Congress last week. On behalf of Americans United, Anzalone Liszt Research conducted n=801 live telephone interviews nationwide with likely 2010 general election voters between September 10-11. Among the key findings:

Ø 60% of likely 2010 voters say they watched at least part of the President’s speech, and a majority of those who did (54%) are now more likely to support his plan

Ø By a 10-point margin, voters are more likely to re-elect a Member of Congress who votes for healthcare reform

Ø By a 62% to 28% margin, voters support a public option regardless of whether they watched the speech.

Effect of Obama Health Care Plan On Your Family

Better off: 21%
Worse off: 35 %
About The Same: 43%
No Opinion: 1%

"This is such a polarizing issue. They are worried about the deficit. Two thirds of them are worried that it's going to grow. And they're worried about how it's going to affect them. When asked if they would be better or worse off with health care reform, only 21 percent said they would be better off! 35 percent said worse and about the same, 43 percent.[that's exactly how she said it ---ed]

And what's really interesting is that when you break down these numbers, only 5 percent of Republicans thinks they're going to be better off and only 15 percent of Independent voters think they'll be better off. So that gives you a sense of how divided the country is.

"But it is the public option that has become the major point of contention, with support for the government creation of an insurance plan that would compete with private insurers stabilizing in the survey after dipping last month. Now, 55 percent say they like the idea, but the notion continues to attract intense objection: If that single provision were removed, opposition to the overall package drops by six percentage points, according to the poll.

Without the public option, 50 percent back the rest of the proposed changes; a still sizable 42 percent are opposed. Independents divide 45-45 on a package without the government-sponsored insurance option, while they are largely negative on the entire set of proposals (40 percent support and 52 percent oppose). Republican opposition also fades 20 points under this scenario."

Here are questions 22 and 23 in that poll:

22. Would you support or oppose having the government create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans?

Support Oppose

Net Strongly Somewhat Strongly/Net Strongly Somewhat Strongly
9/12/09 -----55 33 22 -----------42 11 31 3

8/17/09 ----- 52 33 19 -----------46 11 35 2

6/21/09 ----- 62 NA NA---------- 33 NA NA 5

23. Say health care reform does NOT include the option of a government-sponsored health plan - in that case would you support or oppose the rest of the proposed changes to the health care system being developed by (Congress) and (the Obama administration)?

Support Oppose No opinion

9/12/09 ---- 50 42 8


This 5% drop in support w/o the public option and rock steady 42%opposition produces a conclusion that there is more support if the public option is dropped.

Unbelievable!!!!!