While Public Still Likes Obama, His Approval Rating Falls

Another pollster, this time the Marist Institute, is saying that President Obama's approval rating has dropped below 50 percent for the first time in its surveys, with 46 percent giving him positive marks and 44 percent disapproving of his performance. The poll, conducted Dec. 2-3 and Dec. 7, has a 3.5 point margin of error.

When Marist last asked this question in October, 53 percent approved of the job Obama was doing.

Obama does better when the question is whether voters regard him favorably or not, apart from his job performance. Fifty-five percent say they do, 41 percent don't, and 4 percent are undecided.

Fifty-three percent say Obama has met or exceeded their expectations (9 percent said "exceeded") while 42 percent said he has not, with 5 percent undecided.

Forty-four percent say the direction in which Obama is moving the country is a change for the better compared to 35 percent who said it was for the worse, and 18 percent who described it as no change at all. As to whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction or not, voters split on that question at 46 percent each with 8 percent undecided.

Fifty-one percent disapprove of Obama's handling of the economy while 45 percent approve, with 4 percent undecided. In October, 48 percent approved and 47 percent disapproved. But respondents still cut him some slack, saying by a 65 percent to 27 percent margin that current economic conditions are mostly ones that Obama inherited.

"The issue of whether the economic problems are President Obama's doing or still a carryover from President Bush will be critical in how voters approach the 2010 midterm elections," said Marist's Lee M. Miringoff.

Forty-seven percent approve of his handling of Afghanistan while 43 percent don't and 10 percent are undecided. In October, 45 percent disapproved and 43 percent approved.