RASMUSSEN - AT 10:47 A.M. ET:  Today's Rasmussen report is the first where all the polling was done after the president's speech.  The bounce reported yesterday continues, and grows larger, as expected:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 34% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -4. That’s the President’s best Approval Index rating in over a month.

And the president's overall approval rating is up:

Overall, 51% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That represents a one point improvement since his Wednesday night speech and is the President’s best rating in three weeks. Forty-eight percent (48%) now disapprove.

And...

The President’s speech also provided a modest bounce in support for his health care plans. Voters are evenly divided at this time with 48% in favor and 48% opposed.

COMMENT:  The bounce will probably not last, and, even with it, the president's numbers are nothing to write home about.  Still, the tie vote on the health plan will give encouragement to the White House.  They can now claim that Mr. Obama has reversed the downward slide, in public opinion, of his health plan.  To a degree, that's true.  The bleeding (not covered by Obamacare) has stopped for now.

Much will depend on how the opposition maneuvers.  Town meetings and demonstrations are not enough.  The Republicans must be out there, on camera, every day, zeroing in on what's wrong with the president's plan and proposing attractive, understandable alternatives.  Otherwise, Obama and his allies in Congress, if they continue their PR campaign, might just slip their plan through, just as we think we're winning.

Washington reads polls far more religiously than it reads the Bible.  The air has to be taken out of that bounce.

September 13, 2009