As Americans grapple with a do-nothing Congress, stagnant economy and botched healthcare implementation, President Barack Obama’s approval rating continues to suffer, hitting a new low this month, a new poll shows.
According to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, President Obama’s approval rating ticked down two percentage points, with only 41 percent of those polled approving of the job he is doing as president. To the contrary, 54 percent disapprove of the job the president is doing.
Obama’s dismal approval rating comes after months of dwindling support. The WSJ/NBC News poll found March’s approval rating is the lowest of his presidency, down from 42 percent in October. Approximately 54 percent disapproved of the job President Obama was doing in December — likely a result of the disastrous implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
The president also hit a new low in Americans’ approval of his handling of foreign policy. According to the poll, only 41 percent of those surveyed said they approved of the job Obama is doing on the issue.
Such findings come as tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to escalate, with reports of the mounting conflict dominating headlines. The United States and its allies have warned Russia to cease efforts to split Crimea from Ukraine. Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the country’s interim prime minister, met with President Obama at the White House Wednesday.
With the midterm elections fast approaching, Republicans maintain a slight edge over Democrats regarding which party Americans would prefer to take control of Congress. The WSJ/NBC News poll found that 44 percent of those surveyed hope to see a Republican-controlled Congress after the election in November, compared to 43 percent who hope to see a Democrat-controlled Congress.
Republican pollster Bill McInturff told the Wall Street Journal the president is becoming less of an asset for Democrats, especially ahead of the midterm elections.
“The president is being taken off the field as a Democratic positive,” McInturff, of Public Opinion Strategies, told the Wall Street Journal. “These numbers would suggest that, beyond his behind-the-scenes fundraising, it’s hard to imagine the president on the road and hard to imagine where he would campaign.”
As vulnerable Democrats campaign for their House and Senate seats, many have opted not to invite the former campaigner-in-chief on the trail.
Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), who faces a tough race in November, snubbed Obama when he visited her home state in January, saying her schedule did not allow for her to welcome him to the Tar Heel State. Additionally, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said last month she probably wouldn’t invite the president to campaign with her if she were up for reelection. McCaskill advised her colleagues to distance themselves from Obama as support for the president wanes.
The Wall Street Journal/NBC News conducted a telephone study of 1,000 adults nationwide from March 5-9, 2014. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points.
