Obama’s Approval on the Issues Is Cratering

In most polls, President Obama continues to score decent overall approval ratings. This has obscured the more important fact that, on issue after issue, Americans decisively reject the policies that are being pursued by the administration.
This is highlighted by the most recent CNN/Opinion Dynamics poll. Republicans are emphasizing the dramatic drop in support for Obama’s approach to health care; respondents now disapprove by a 57-42 percent margin. And that poll surveys anyone who answers the telephone, not likely voters or even registered voters. Here is the trend:
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But that negative judgment on Obama’s policies is the rule, not the exception. Some examples from the same poll:
Obama’s handling of the economy: 46% approve, 54% disapprove.
Obama’s handling of Afghanistan: 42% approve, 56% disapprove.
Obama’s handling of illegal immigration: 36% approve, 58% disapprove.
Obama’s handling of the federal deficit: 39% approve, 60% disapprove.
Obama’s handling of Iraq: 44% approve, 53% disapprove.
All of which helps to explain why Scott Rasmussen finds that if President Obama were up for re-election today, only 45% of adults (again, not likely voters) say they would be at least “somewhat likely” to vote for him. 49% say they would be unlikely to vote to re-elect Obama. Here as always, Obama’s poll results reflect his overwhelming support among African-Americans. It is striking that only 36% of whites say they would be even “somewhat likely” to vote to re-elect Obama.
Public discontent doesn’t stop with Obama, of course. Congressional Democrats are even more deeply unpopular. This is reflected in yesterday’s Gallup Poll on generic Congressional preference. Gallup now finds the public–registered voters, not likely voters–virtually evenly divided between the parties:
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Gallup puts these numbers in historical context, comparing them to its findings a year or so in advance of historic midterm elections. Those data are worth reviewing in detail. Suffice it to say that if Gallup’s generic ballot remains close, it should signal major gains for the GOP next year.

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