A new CBS News poll finds President Obama's "attempt to explain his plans for health care reform to the American public Wednesday night appear to have been successful -- to some extent."
The poll finds that 52% now approve of how the president is handling health care as compared to 40% just last week. That's his highest approval rate all year.
In addition, more people understand what the president wants to do. Before the speech, just 33% said the president had clearly explained his plans for reform. That rose to 42% afterward.
Key finding: "All of the improvement on this question came from those who watched the speech. A majority of those who watched the speech, 58%, said the president had explained his plans, up from 40% before the speech. But among those who didn't watch, only one in four now say he has explained his plans -- the same percentage as before the speech."