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CBS/NYT poll: Obama's approval ratings upside-down

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By MAGGIE HABERMAN | 3/12/12 6:59 PM EDT
The CBS/NYTimes poll shows President Obama's approval rating under water, having taken a dive in recent weeks:
At a time of rising gas prices, heightened talk of war with Iran and setbacks in Afghanistan, Mr. Obama’s approval rating dropped substantially in recent weeks, the poll found, with 41 percent of respondents expressing approval of the job he is doing and 47 percent saying they disapprove — a dangerous position for any incumbent seeking re-election.
The poll provides a statistical reminder of how unsettled and unpredictable this year’s political landscape remains. Just one month ago, Mr. Obama reached a critical benchmark by winning approval from 50 percent of Times/CBS News poll respondents, his re-election prospects lifting along with confidence that the nation was finally emerging from the aftermath of the Great Recession.
Mr. Obama’s approval numbers measure his performance against expectations. But elections are choices between candidates, and on that score, he showed greater resilience in the poll.
In a hypothetical matchup against his most likely Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, Mr. Obama had a 47 percent to 44 percent advantage, a statistical dead heat given the poll’s margin of sampling error of 3 percentage points. Against Rick Santorum, the president held a slight advantage, winning 48 percent to 44 percent. In both cases, Mr. Obama’s lead was down slightly from last month.
The numbers are similar to the dip his approval took in an ABC News/Washington Post poll earlier today, and the slippage is seen in lower-income households, and in relation to the economy and foreign policy, an issue that's been in the news of late.
The poll reflects a moment in the race, and a number of economic indicators have been in the president's favor in recent weeks, prompting Santorum to openly mull the prospect of a national security election. But as the Times notes, the president's re-election hopes, while better, are still fragile given the environment.


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