In his special address to Congress on Wednesday night, President Barack Obama declared that no other president would need to battle through the health care debate because he would pass the legislation.
"I'm not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last," Obama said, citing Teddy Roosevelt as the first president to bring up the reform.
Obama outlined a plan addressing the rise of health care costs, lessening the taxpayer burden on Medicare and Medicaid and announcing a new insurance exchange where millions of Americans can shop for health insurance with many companies.
Ball State University political science professors and students considered the speech effective and, in parts, surprising.
Dan Reagan, assistant professor of political science, said he thought the president did a pretty good job speaking about the issues he needed to.
"He opened with talk about the stimulus bill, to remind Congress and the American people that the Democrats and Republicans can work together," Reagan said. "My guess is that it was an attempt to revive bipartisan spirit. Another thing he did was remind Congress that they have already done more for health care reform than any other Congress. Then he unveiled his plan and talked about the myths associated with it. We'll just have to see how far it all gets him."
Obama's approval numbers have fallen to about 50 percent, according to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Many cite wavering confidence in the president's health care plan as a possible cause for the drop in approval.
The president also called out myths being spread about his plan. He addressed commonly known rumors, such as that his plan would create "death panels," insure illegal immigrants and use federal money to fund abortions. He assured each was false and said from now on, anyone who spreads rumors about his plan will be "called out" by the White House.
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