A new survey indicates U.S. President Barack Obama’s approval rating has fallen below 50 percent for the first time in his presidency.
The poll, released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University in the northeastern state of Connecticut, shows Mr. Obama’s approval rating at 48 percent among registered voters, down two points from last month.
The survey shows that support for the president’s handling of the war in Afghanistan has also dropped, from 52 percent last month to 48 percent now.
The poll also showed 43 percent approved of the president’s handling of the economy, down from 47 percent in October.
The survey found Mr. Obama more popular among women, with more than half (52 percent) of those surveyed approving of the president’s performance, compared to 47 percent among men.
The poll shows the president has wide support among blacks and Hispanics – with 89 percent of African Americans and 62 percent of Hispanics backing him. But according to the poll 49 percent of whites disapprove of his job performance.
The survey indicated the president’s approval dropped as age and income increased.
The Quinnipiac survey was conducted among 2,518 registered voters nationwide between November 9 and November 16. It had a margin of error of plus or minus two percent.