Obama Approval Rating Falls In Wake Of Major Controversies
Approval rating numbers for Obama show a decline over the past month as the president faces a series of major controversies including leaks about privacy rights straddling US intelligence operations.
Monday morning poll numbers released by the CNN/ORC International survey show President Obama’s approval at 45 percent, a drop of eight points in the past month.
The results put the president’s approval among Americans at the lowest they have been in over a year and a half.
The declining numbers can likely be attributed to the various controversies and allegations of scandal hitting the White House over the last few weeks.
These include a renewed interest in the possibility of negligence involved in the attack in Benghazi, Libya, investigations into whether the IRS targeted conservative political groups, and recent leaks regarding secret intelligence gathering programs.
Poll numbers regarding American opinion are seen to be split on the recent revelation to the public of various National Security Agency programs. These programs involve tracking and examining phone records.
A majority of poll responders, however, approve of the NSA targeting the online communications of foreign suspects as part of the top secret PRISM program.
Looking at Obama’s approval ratings, it’s clear Americans in general are not pleased though. Half of Americans responded, for the first time, that they do not find the president to be honest or trustworthy. Even more have said they worry about government overreach threatening Americans’ freedoms.
Perhaps the most dramatic change was Obama’s approval among people under 30, which has dropped 17 points in the last month.
It is also interesting to note that disapproval of Obama’s handling of surveillance programs is at 60 percent, higher than the 52 percent disapproval Bush received when similar programs were in the news.
While the public opinion of the recently leaked details of the NSA’s data mining programs seem to be split, the revelations are beginning to take their toll on President Obama’s approval rating, dipping to an 18 month low last week.
[Image via maxhphoto / Shutterstock.com]
