President Obama’s approval rating has hit yet another new low, the latest poll finds.
The ABC News/Washington Post poll released Wednesday found that just 40 percent of Americans approve of Obama’s job performance, marking the lowest score this poll has seen since he took office.
The “hits a new low” has become a common refrain for the president this year. His approval rating is down one point from September and has been dropping for the past several months.
It’s the details of this low approval rating that tells the real story.
Only 44 percent of Americans approve of the president’s handling of economic issues, despite his many speeches touting his accomplishments in this area. About 51 percent who disapprove, his lowest rating in more than a year.
His rating on national security is even worse. Just 35 of Americans approve of his handling of the threat from terrorist group ISIS, down 22 points from the end of September.
To make matters worse, most Americans feel as though their lives have either gotten worse or stayed stagnant under his presidency.
The poll asked, “Would you say you yourself are better off financially than you were when Obama first became president, not as well off, or in about the same shape as then financially?”
Only 22 percent said they were better off, 30 percent said they’re worse off, and 46 percent said they are in the same shape. Considering he took office at the height of the economic crisis, these numbers are abysmal.
But Obama was not the only one to hit new lows in the ABC News/Washington Post poll.
The Democrats hit their lowest favorability rating in 30 years.
Only 39 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of Democrats, while 51 percent have an unfavorable impression. This is the first time the party has dropped below a 46 percent favorability rating, the Washington Post reports.
They are still more popular than the Republicans though the gap is closing. Just 33 percent of Americans view Republicans favorably and 56 percent hold an unfavorable view.
