Obama's job approval rating drops to new low, poll shows

NEWSCORE
Posted: 4:43 PM, July 29, 2011

PRINCETON, N.J. -- President Barack Obama's job approval rating hit a new low of 40 percent this week as the debt crisis dragged on in Washington, a sharp slide from his 50 percent approval rating earlier this month, according to a Gallup Daily tracking poll released Friday.

According to Gallup, Obama's previous low was 41 percent, which he hit most recently in April.

"The inability of US lawmakers to agree on the debt ceiling has apparently shaken Americans' confidence in the economy and now seems to be taking its toll on the president's public support, with Obama's approval rating at a new low," Gallup said in its statement releasing the poll numbers.

The poll was conducted by phone from Tuesday through Thursday with a random sample of 1,463 adults living in the US.

As recently as June 7, Obama had a 50 percent job approval rating, Gallup said.

Among Democrats, however, Obama's job approval rating is much higher at 72 percent, Gallup reported. Among independents, 34 percent approve of his performance, compared with 13 percent of Republicans.