(01/26/10) -

Obama Falls Below 50% Mark in U.S.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Public support for United States president Barack Obama is at the lowest point of his tenure, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 47 per cent of respondents approve of Obama’s performance, down three points since December.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Public support for United States president Barack Obama is at the lowest point of his tenure, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 47 per cent of respondents approve of Obama’s performance, down three points since December.

In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2008, Democratic nominee Obama secured a majority of electoral votes, defeating Republican contender John McCain. In January 2009, Obama became the first African American president in U.S. history.

Since 2007, defaults on so-called subprime mortgages—credit given to high-risk borrowers—in the United States caused volatility in domestic and global financial markets and ultimately pushed the U.S. economy into a recession. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The crisis has affected the global financial and credit systems.

Yesterday, Obama introduced measures to help families—including the introduction of a cap on student loan payments and doubling the child-care tax credit—declaring, "Too many Americans have known their own painful recessions long before any economists declared that there was a recession. (…) We also need to reverse the overall erosion in middle-class security, so that when this economy does come back, working Americans are free to pursue their dreams again."

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Barack Obama’s performance as president?

Complete Poll (PDF)