50% of Americans Call Health Care Bill 'a Bad Thing'

The latest polls show a slight dip in popularity for President Obama's health care reform initiative, suggesting Democrats have work to do in convincing the public of the bill's benefits. Half of Americans called the new law "a bad thing" while 47% said it was "a good thing"—a significant change from 49% in favor and 40% opposed the day the bill passed.

The shifting opinions recorded by the USA Today/Gallup poll fall within the survey's 4% margin of error but probably reflect real repositioning. The poll taken the day the bill passed came when "the news cycle was dominated by the positive side of the story and only a bit by the Republicans' rebuttal to that," says a polling expert.