National Polling Summary

In the days since Joe Wilson's "You Lie!" outburst during President Obama's speech, Rob Miller has raised well over $1 million from nearly 40,000 Democrats, Independents, and Republicans who reject Wilson's politics of division, and has seen a jump in the polls. Rob is a Marine Corps veteran who served his country for 13 years, including two deployments to Iraq. He may be a new name on the national scene, but Rob is a familiar face to voters in South Carolina's 2nd District. In 2008, Rob held Joe Wilson to his lowest vote share ever, and he's determined to finish the job in 2010. Rob is no stranger to working hard - facing staggering medical bills after his father passed away, he took a job at the age of 14, washing dishes to help his family pay unpaid medical bills. Rob is running for Congress to cut wasteful spending, honor our troops, keep good jobs in South Carolina, and provide families with better healthcare. A recent PPP poll has Rob leading Wislon 44% to 43%. To learn more about Rob Miller, visit him here.

September 16, 2009
Anzalone Liszt Research
National Polling Summary

Welcome to the Anzalone Liszt Research National Polling Summary, a quick look at national public polls detailing key political environmental measures as well as attitudes of voters on the pressing issues of the week.

Wednesday night President Obama spoke to a joint session of Congress to refocus the healthcare debate. Naturally, there has been a flood of polling to gauge the results of the speech and the common theme is that it was successful and well received by the American people. This is an environment ripe for reform, despite the tumultuous media-driven August recess. President Obama's job rating and his health-care specific job rating are both back over 50%, and solid margins trust Obama over Republicans on healthcare reform. Anzalone Liszt polling, commissioned by Americans United for Change (which can be viewed here), shows 60% of Americans believe the health care system needs either a total overhaul or major reforms. The same polling also shows 62% of Americans support the public option, and 49% plurality of voters are more likely to re-elect their member of congress if they support Obama's healthcare plan.

Enjoy,

John Anzalone and Jeff Liszt

Healthcare
Who do you trust more on healthcare reform

Polling Firm	Date	Obama	Republicans in Congress	Neither
ABC/ Wash Post	9/12/09	48%	36%	12%
Anzalone Liszt	9/11/09	45%	30%	16%
ABC/ Wash Post	7/18/09	54%	34%	10%

ABC/ Wash Post: Who do you trust to do a better job handling health care reform: Obama or the Republicans in Congress? ALR: Who do you trust more to reform healthcare in America - President Obama, or the Republicans in Congress?

President Obama's Job Rating

Polling Firm	Date	Approve	Disapprove
Gallup	9/13/09	54%	43%
CNN/ ORC	9/13/09	58%	40%
ABC/ Wash Post	9/12/09	54%	43%
Anzalone Liszt	9/11/09	56%	41%

President Obama's Job Rating on Handling Health Care reform

Polling Firm	Date	Approve	Disapprove
CBS	9/10/09	52%	38%
CBS	8/31/09	40%	47%

Barack Obama's Plan to reform health care

Polling Firm	Date	Support	Oppose
CNN/ ORC	9/13/09	51%	46%
ABC/ Wash Post	9/12/09	46%	48%
ABC/ Wash Post	8/17/09	45%	50%

CNN/ ORC: From everything you have heard or read so far, do you favor or oppose Barack Obama's plan to reform health care? ABC/Wash Post: Overall, given what you know about them, would you say you support or oppose the proposed changes to the health care system being developed by Congress and the Obama administration?

Public Option Support

Polling Firm	Date	Support	Oppose
ABC/ Wash Post	9/12/09	55%	42%
ABC/ Wash Post	8/17/09	52%	46%

ABC/ Wash Post: Would you support or oppose having the government create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans?

Likelihood to support President Obama's healthcare plan if it included a public option

Polling Firm	Date	More likely	Less likely
Anzalone Liszt	9/11/09	62%	28%

Anzalone Liszt: Thinking about President Obama's healthcare reform plan, if the plan included a public option that gave people a choice between private insurance plans and a public health insurance plan, would you be more likely or less likely to support it?

Re-election likelihood if your member of Congress voted for healthcare reform

Polling Firm	Date	More Likely	Less Likely
Anzalone Liszt	9/11/09	49%	39%

Anzalone Liszt: If your member of Congress voted in favor of healthcare reform, would you be much more likely to re-elect your member of Congress, somewhat more likely, somewhat less likely, or much less likely to re-elect your member of Congress?

Physicians Support for Different Healthcare Reforms

Polling Firm	Date	Public Option w/ Private Option	No Public Option, Subsidies for low-income
RWJF	9/3/09	63%	27%

Anzalone Liszt Research

Likelihood to support healthcare reform from what you have seen or heard about President Obama's speech

Polling Firm	Date	More likely	Less likely
Anzalone Liszt	9/11/09	48%	37%

Anzalone Liszt: From what you have seen or heard about the speech, are you more likely or less likely to support President Obama's healthcare reform plan?

Level of Change Needed in the Healthcare System

Polling Firm	Date	Okay the way it is	Needs minor Reforms	Needs major reforms	Needs a total overhaul
Anzalone Liszt	9/11/09	9%	28%	41%	19%

Anzalone Liszt: In your opinion, would you say the healthcare system in America is okay the way it is, needs minor reforms, needs major reforms, or needs a total overhaul?

Importance of passing healthcare reform this year

Polling Firm	Date	Total Important	Total Not Important
Anzalone Liszt	9/11/09	67%	30%

Anzalone Liszt: How important do you think it is for Congress to pass healthcare reform this year- very important, somewhat important, not that important or not important at all?

ABC/ Washington Post

Is government reform of health care necessary to control costs?

Polling Firm	Date	Is necessary	Will Do More Harm Than Good
ABC/ Wash Post	9/12/09	53%	44%
ABC/ Wash Post	8/17/09	51%	46%

ABC/ Wash Post: Which comes closer to they way you feel? Government reform of the nation's health care system is necessary to control costs and expand coverage. Or, Government action on health care will do more harm than good?

Is it possible to reform the health care system in a way that people who have coverage now can keep it with out any changes if they want to?

Polling Firm	Date	Reform Possible w/o Changes	Reform will Require Changes
ABC/ Wash Post	9/12/09	49%	48%
ABC/ Wash Post	6/21/09	38%	58%

ABC/ Wash Post: Do you think it's possible to reform the health care system in a way that people who have coverage now can keep it without any changes if they want to, or do you think health care reform will require everyone to make changes, whether they want to or not?

Support for a law that requires all Americans to have health insurance?

Polling Firm	Date	Support	Oppose
ABC/ Wash Post	9/12/09	51%	47%
ABC/ Wash Post	6/21/09	49%	47%

ABC/ Wash Post: Which comes closer to they way you feel? Government reform of the nation's health care system is necessary to control costs and expand coverage. Or, Government action on health care will do more harm than good?

Limiting the amount of money one can collect after being injured by bad medical care

Polling Firm	Date	Support	Oppose
ABC/ Wash Post	9/12/09	63%	34%
ABC/ Wash Post	6/21/09	57%	42%

ABC/ Wash Post: Would you support or oppose a law limiting the amount of money someone can collect if they win a lawsuit after being injured by bad medical care?

Republicans in Congress are making a good faith effort to cooperate with the Obama and Dems

Polling Firm	Date	Are	Are Not
ABC/ Wash Post	9/12/09	31%	62%

ABC/ Wash Post: Do you think the Republicans in Congress are or are not making a good faith effort to cooperate with Obama and the Democrats on health care reform?

CNN/ ORC

Role Republicans are Playing in Response to President Obama's Health Care Reform Proposals

Polling Firm	Date	Constructive	Obstructionist
CNN/ ORC	9/13/09	35%	61%

CNN/ ORC: In reacting to President Obam's health care proposals, do you think the Republicans are generally offering constructive criticism, or are they being obstructionist for mostly political reasons?

Do you think the policies being proposed by Obama will move the country in the right direction?

Polling Firm	Date	Right	Wrong
CNN/ ORC	9/9/09	70%	27%
CNN/ ORC	9/8/09	60%	35%

CNN/ ORC: Do you think the policies being proposed by Barack Obama will move the country in the right direction or the wrong direction?

CBS

Has Obama clearly explained his plans for health care reform?

Polling Firm	Date	Yes	No
CBS	9/10/9	42%	43%
CBS	8/31/09	33%	61%

CBS: Has President Obama clearly explained his plans for health care reform?

Would Congress' current health reforms help or hurt you personally?

Polling Firm	Date	Help	Hurt	No Effect
CBS	9/10/9	22%	27%	42%
CBS	8/31/09	19%	30%	45%

AARP (Asked only of those 45 or older)

Before President Obama's speech 70% had concerns about what was being proposed in regards to health care reform.
After President Obama's speech 73% of those with concerns had those concerns addressed.
After these concerns were addressed 68% were "more supportive" of the health care reform proposals

Democracy Corp (Dial Testing)

Health care plan support

Polling Firm	Date	Total Support	Total Oppose
Dem Corp	After Speech	66%	30%
Dem Corp	Before Speech	46%	46%

Impact of congressional members vote on health care on vote

Polling Firm	Date	Total more likely to vote for member who votes for health care reform	No Impact	Total more likely to vote for member who votes against health care reform
Dem Corp	After Speech	56%	28%	16%
Dem Corp	Before Speech	48%	24%	28%

How likely is it congress will pass health care this year

Polling Firm	Date	Total Likely	Total Not Likely
Dem Corp	After Speech	60%	40%
Dem Corp	Before Speech	60%	38%

Interesting Facts

A newly released census report shows:

1. The number of people without health insurance has increased from 45.7 million to 46.3 million

2. Since 2000 the number of uninsured has increased by 7.3 million

3. The percentage of people covered by governmental health insurance programs increased to 29 percent in 2008 from 27.8 percent in 2007.

Source: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/09/10/census-463-million-uninsured/

Healthcare Who do you trust more on healthcare reform

Polling Firm

Date

Obama

Republicans in Congress

Neither

ABC/ Wash Post

9/12/09

48%

36%

12%

Anzalone Liszt

9/11/09

45%

30%

16%

ABC/ Wash Post

7/18/09

54%

34%

10%

ABC/ Wash Post: Who do you trust to do a better job handling health care reform: Obama or the Republicans in Congress? ALR: Who do you trust more to reform healthcare in America - President Obama, or the Republicans in Congress?

President Obama's Job Rating

Polling Firm

Date

Approve

Disapprove

Gallup

9/13/09

54%

43%

CNN/ ORC

9/13/09

58%

40%

ABC/ Wash Post

9/12/09

54%

43%

Anzalone Liszt

9/11/09

56%

41%

President Obama's Job Rating on Handling Health Care reform

Polling Firm

Date

Approve

Disapprove

CBS

9/10/09

52%

38%

CBS

8/31/09

40%

47%

Barack Obama's Plan to reform health care

Polling Firm

Date

Support

Oppose

CNN/ ORC

9/13/09

51%

46%

ABC/ Wash Post

9/12/09

46%

48%

ABC/ Wash Post

8/17/09

45%

50%

Public Option Support

Polling Firm

Date

Support

Oppose

ABC/ Wash Post

9/12/09

Healthcare
Who do you trust more on healthcare reform

Anzalone Liszt Research

Likelihood to support healthcare reform from what you have seen or heard about President Obama's speech