REUTERS/Jim Young
For the first time since the president took his seat in the Oval Office, more Americans are dissatisfied with his performance.
August’s Reuters-Ipsos poll shows that Barack Obama’s disapproval rating continues to rise, creeping to a new high of 52 percent. In the meantime, his approval rating has fallen to a chilly 45 percent.
Republicans can revel in those figures, but the survey demonstrates that Americans’ unhappiness with Washington sits on both sides of the partisan spectrum. Of the 1,063 Americans polled from Aug. 19-22, 78 percent expressed that infighting between both parties was a primary cause. Among those individuals, 36 percent blamed Republicans, 28 percent pointed their finger at Democrats, and 28 percent targeted both parties.
Some key numbers on other issues:
November Midterm Elections
—46 percent likely to vote for Republican candidates
—45 percent tipping their hat to Democratic faces
The Economy
—92 percent expressed concern over the nation’s 9.5 percent unemployment rate
—62 percent believe the country is on the wrong track
Bush Tax Cuts
—49 percent want to extend those cuts for all Americans
—31 percent want the cuts to expire for people earning more than $200,000 a year.