Obama Takes a Pounding in Latest Popularity Polls
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President Obama’s approval in the traditionally blue state of California is approaching its lowest-ever mark in a new poll.
A Field poll released on Tuesday shows a 10-point drop since earlier this year. In the new poll, 52 percent of California voters approved of the job the president was doing, with 35 percent disapproving. In a February Field Poll, the approval number was 62 percent.
It is Mr. Obama’s third lowest approval rating for a Field poll, ranking behind his 46 percent rating in September 2011 and 48 percent in November 2011, since which his approval had been steadily climbing.
The drop is noticeable among his supporters: Approval dropped 14 points among Democrats since February, to 74 percent; 15 points among women, to 53 percent; and 14 points among voters aged 18-39, to 57 percent.
Field Poll surveyed 846 registered voters in California between June 26 and July 21 by phone, Politico reports.
Meanwhile, in a separate Gallup poll, the President also takes a hammering.
The poll shows that in the 18thquarter in office, his approval has dipped to 47.9 percent.
After showing improvement in each of the five previous quarters, culminating with his re-election, the latest figure represents a second consecutive quarter his figures have declined.
The results are based on Gallup Daily tracking interviews with more than 45,000 U.S. adults during Mr. Obama's 18thquarter in office, which ran from April 20-July 19.
The President’s best quarterly average to date was during his first quarter in office, the honeymoon phase of his presidency, when he averaged 63 percent approval.
His worst was 41 percent during his 11thquarter, when he and Congress engaged in contentious negotiations to raise the federal debt limit, after which the United States' credit rating was downgraded and the U.S. stock market tanked.
According to Gallup, Mr. Obama's 18thquarter average of 47.9 percent job approval is fairly typical for post-World War II presidents. The 18thquarter average for Harry Truman was 48.7 percent and George W. Bush 47.3 percent.
Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton were more popular at similar stages in their presidency than Obama is, while Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were less popular.
