Poll: Obama's Standing Falls, But He Still Leads Top GOPers
By Steven Shepard // April 19, 2011 | 7:59 a.m.
Updated: April 21, 2011 | 7:25 a.m.
President Obama's approval rating is at its lowest point since early September in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll released Tuesday, surrendering the gains Obama had made since the midterm elections. But the poll also finds Obama ahead of his most prominent Republican rivals, including the marginal frontrunner, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Half of Americans disapprove of the job Obama is doing as president, while just 47 percent approve. It is the first time more Americans have disapproved of the job Obama is doing than approved in more than seven months.
Obama's personal favorability has also taken a hit. Tested for the first time in nearly a year, the poll finds a slim majority, 52 percent, has a favorable impression of Obama, down from 57 percent in April 2010.
Obama's slippage in the poll appears to be tied to his handling of the economy. A majority of Americans, 57 percent, disapproves of the way Obama is handling the economy, while only 42 percent approve. And a growing number of Americans, 44 percent, believes the economy is getting worse, the largest percentage in more than two years.
Still, Obama is staked to leads over the best-known Republican contenders. He leads Romney, 49 percent to 45 percent, and holds a six-point lead over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, 50 percent to 44 percent.
Obama has larger leads over former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (55 percent to 38 percent), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (54 percent to 39 percent), former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (53 percent to 38 percent), real estate magnate Donald Trump (52 percent to 40 percent) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn). (51 percent to 39 percent).
The poll also confirms that Romney has a slight advantage at the start of the 2012 Republican campaign: When Republicans and Republican-leaning independents were asked, open-ended, for whom they would vote in a GOP primary or caucus, 16 percent chose Romney, who was the only candidate to earn double-digit support.
But only 43 percent of Republicans or Republican-leaning independents are very or somewhat satisfied with the choice of candidates for the GOP nomination. In April 2007, 65 percent of Republicans were satisfied with the candidates.
The poll was conducted April 14-17 by Langer Research, which surveyed 1,001 adults, for a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent. There were 432 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, for a margin of error of +/- 4.7 percent.
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