President Joe Biden's very good State of the Union showing wasn't just a hit among Democrats. Despite criticism that Biden's address was specifically aimed at rallying Democratic voters, the speech not only tested well with viewers beyond the base, it also significantly improved Biden's standing among those viewers.
As Daily Kos' Mark Sumner pointed out, a CNN quick poll found that 64% of respondents viewed the speech positively, with 62% saying his policies would move the country in the right direction—a 17-percentage-point bump from before the speech.
Navigator Research posted similar findings from its live-reaction dial group of 33 Phoenix-area soft partisans and independents: 76% had positive reactions, with 64% saying Biden's policies would move the country in the right direction.
Biden's favorability rating among the dial group jumped 37 points from before and after the speech, ending at 58% favorable to 42% unfavorable.
The change in Biden's job approval rating—a tougher sell—was far smaller but still improved 6 points, to 33% approve versus 67% disapprove. There's still plenty of work to do in that arena.
