GOP sees 'really good' 2010 if health bill passes

Republicans see political opportunity in the national healthcare debate regardless of whether legislation is passed into law this year.

A new poll commissioned by the Republican National Committee (RNC) has the GOP optimistic that they are poised for political gain, even if Democrats in Congress are able to pass their healthcare reform for President Obama to sign.

"If they pass some form of a bill that has some element of a government-run option, we will have a really good year next year," said Wes Anderson, who conducted the new poll for the RNC, in a briefing with reporters Thursday morning.

The GOP sees signs of hope for a political resurgence as public opinion on healthcare and the economy have trended toward them during a tumultuous summer debate over healthcare reform proposals in Washington.

Among the key findings in the late August poll are a tied generic congressional ballot, showing voters split at 36 percent over whether they would favor a Republican or Democratic candidate in 2010.

"It has been a number of years since we've seen the generic ballot at parity for us," Anderson said.

While Republicans still suffer from a net negative, 38-44 favorability rating, the RNC poll showed that margin closing and trending positively since June, whereas congressional Democrats have grown somewhat more unpopular.

Anderson asserted that Republican plans are at parity with Democrats' prescriptions for healthcare reform, piggybacking off of messaging the past few months that have tested well.

He said that voters' positions are quickly hardening on healthcare, arguing that Obama's joint session address would be less effective.

"Last night's speech would have been very, very effective two months ago," he said.

The poll, conducted August 25-26, has a 2.82 percent margin of error.