President Obama’s slippage in popularity continues.
A majority of independent voters, 53 percent, now disapprove of Obama’s job performance, according to a poll from CNN/Opinion Research Corp. conducted last week.
That marks the first time a CNN poll has shown a majority of independents turning against the president. Only 43 percent of independents now approve of Obama’s performance.
Obama's overall approval rating dropped 3 points from July and 8 points from June, to 53 percent. The amount of those disapproving rose 5 points from July and 8 points from June, to 45 percent.
To be sure, the president did gain support among Democrats, to 90 percent, up 3 points from July. Only 15 percent of Republicans approve, down 8 points from July.
Obama’s loss of support among independents may make it quite difficult for him to achieve his agenda, including healthcare reform.
"Obama won a majority of the vote among independents last year, and that helped put him in the White House," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Losing their support makes it more difficult for Obama to govern from the center."
As for specific issues, Obama’s rating on healthcare plunged 13 points since March. His rating on the deficit plummeted 16 points, his rating on taxes slipped 17 point points and his rating on the war in Afghanistan skidded 18 points since March.
A CBS News poll conducted last week showed Obama with a 56 percent approval rating, down 2 points from July. That level, of course, is 3 points higher than the CNN poll.
A Real Clear Politics poll shows that Obama’s approval rating is about equal to President George W. Bush’s at the same point in their term – 51.8 percent for Obama and 52 percent for Bush
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