Slightly more Americans than not think the federal health-care overhaul was a bad idea, but divisions run deeper among voters over whether the Supreme Court should overturn the law.
With the court’s decision on the law set for Thursday, nearly four in 10 Americans told a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll that they would have “mixed feelings” if the justices struck down the whole law. Just over a quarter said they would be very pleased, while 17% said they would be very disappointed by that outcome.
The health-care law has stirred deep passions on both sides of the partisan divide, including among some liberals who think it didn’t go far enough. More than half the states have challenged the law as unconstitutional.
Yet beyond the furor, public opinion toward the law has remained remarkably steady since the bill squeaked through Congress and was signed by President Barack Obama in March 2010.
Just over four in 10 Americans now say it was a bad idea, down from 48% the month it became law, while 35% now praise it as a good idea. Nearly a quarter of all Americans have no opinion, up from 15% in March 2010.