Mediaboss Marketing

Nov 2, 2014 12:01am

Evan Vucci/AP Photo

Favorable views of Barack Obama and the sense that he understands the problems of average Americans both have dropped to career lows in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, two more unwelcome results for the presidents party near the eve of the midterm elections.

Just 44 percent now see the president favorably, a basic measure of personal popularity compared with 49 percent in late January and 60 percent at the start of his second term. Half of all adults see him unfavorably, as do 53 percent of likely voters.

See PDF with full results, charts and tables here.

Additionally, a career-low 46 percent say Obama understands the problems of people like them, with similar numbers on the strength of his leadership (rated positively by 46 percent), managerial skills (45 percent) and the extent to which he can be trusted in a crisis (49 percent).

Obamas lack of popularity has cast a shadow over his party as it tries to hang on to its majority in the Senate. His job approval rating hit a career-low 40 percent in an ABC/Post poll in mid-October, and was 43 percent last week. Historically, presidential approval correlates highly with midterm losses for an incumbent presidents party.

It could be worse for the president in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates. While his favorability rating has slipped by five points this year, the number who see him unfavorably has held steady, at 50 percent. More instead are undecided or have no opinion.

Obamas ratings on individual attributes are similar among likely voters off his scores among the general public by 2 to 6 points. Just four in 10 think hes a strong leader or good manager; 45 percent trust him in a crisis and 44 percent say he understands their problems.

Current crises from ISIS to the Ebola virus may further test views of the presidents leadership and management. And his weakness on understanding Americans problems may be a particular challenge not just for his party but for the remainder of his presidency; empathy is the cartilage that can give a president some cushioning in tough times. It also was an essential element of his re-election in 2012.

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Obama Hits Career Lows in Favorability, Empathy