Obama’s Approval Rating on Economy Reaches New Low

With only 37 percent of registered voters approving his handling of the economy — his lowest numbers yet — according to a McClatchy Newspapers-Marist poll, President Barack Obama is in an uncertain position coming into the 2012 election season. Overall, 45 percent of voters approve of his job performance, and 47 percent disapprove; these numbers have been roughly steady since the end of 2009.

The poll surveyed 1,003 adults, including 801 registered voters, from June 15-23 and also found that nearly two out of three voters disapprove of how Obama is handing the federal budget deficit, which hit a record high of $1.5 trillion. On a hopeful note, the poll found that 50 percent of voters had a favorable impression of him, and two out of three Americans said the country’s economic conditions did not stem from the president’s own policies.

Approval ratings of Congress were also low, with 63 percent of voters disapproving of Republican representatives and 60 percent disapproving of Democrats.