Politics / President Obama Obama's Approval Rating Softens Economy pulls down numbers By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff Posted Jun 23, 2009 9:42 AM CDT Copied President Barack Obama leaves the White House for a Father's Day golf outing at Fort Belvoir, Va., south of Washington, Sunday, June 21, 2009. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Concerns over the economy are weighing down President Obama’s poll numbers, which have fallen to their lowest point since his inauguration, Politico reports. Obama’s 57% approval rating in a Gallup tracking poll this weekend remains high, but a series of recent polls find his support falling among Republicans and independents—and even Democrats worried about his economic policies. Pew found support for Obama on the economy dropped 8 points between April and June; a New York Times/CBS poll said 60% believe he lacks a “clear plan” for budget deficits. But Obama still has “fundamental political support,” says a Pew analyst. The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that gave him the lowest job approval rating, 56%, also gave him a high personal approval rating of 60%. (More President Obama stories.) Report an error