About halfway through President Barack Obama's speech, a handful of people began to leave the "Hands Off My Health Care" rally.

"I can't take anymore," Leellon Muench mouthed to her seat mates.

"He lies," Muench explained outside the building. "It's corrupt. It's communist and it's a sad world to me right now."

Her husband, George Muench, said he like some of what he heard.

"I like what he's saying, if it's going to be the truth," he said.

The crowd at the "Hands Off My Health Care" rally was anything but an audience you'd expect to be friendly to President Barack Obama's speech Wednesday night.

The crowd was mostly silent as the big screen showed Fox News coverage of Obama making his way to the podium. He didn't get a boo from the crowd until he began his speech and told Congress that the last time he appeared in the chamber "the nation was facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression."

For the most part, the crowd listened quietly as Obama began to talk about health care reform.

Becky Myrick, 49, says she has is scared of what health care reform proposed by Democrats might look like.

The Raleigh resident and nurse grew up a military kid. Her father was in the Air Force and she has seen government programs of all kind.

"I kind of know what 'government health care' is," she said while waiting for a "Hands Off My Health Care" rally to start.  

Myrick said she believes the nation's health care system needs reform, but is mistrustful and frightened of the proposals put forward by Democrats. But, she said, she was eager to hear the president's speech.

"I'm listening to all sides," Myrick said.

Americans for Prosperity sponsored a "Hands Off My Health Care" rally Wednesday night at the State Fairgrounds. More than 1,000 people attended. The event featured speeches, including one by Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, who congratulated the crowd for getting Washington to listen to concerns about a Democratic plan to reform health care.

"I am convinced that had not the people spoke out in this extremely personal issue, the president would not be giving a speech tonight because the bill would have already been passed," McCrory said. "You did your job."

Staff photo by Ethan Hyman 

A dozen or so volunteers grabbed people at the door for the "Hands off My Health Care" rally to urge them to sign a petition to Congress.

Here's what the petition says: 

I urge you to oppose any legislation that imposes greater government control overy my health care that would mean fewer choices for me and my family and even deny treatments to those in need. Congress must not let government get between my fmaily and my doctor. Please protect patient freedom and expand our health care options with real reforms — focused on patients not politics.