Following a brief surge in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden, U.S. President Barack Obama's approval rating has dropped back with record-number of Americans disapproving his handling of the economy, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Obama's overall job approval fell to 47 percent, eroding almost all the gains he has made after the announcement of the death of the al-Qaida leader, according to the poll released late Monday. Forty-nine percent of those polled said they disapprove of his job performance, including 37 percent who strongly disapprove.
What is worse for the president is that more Americans are dissatisfied with his handling of the economy and deficit, issues sure to dominate the upcoming presidential debate. Disapproval of his handling of the economy hit a new high of 59 percent in the poll, and 61 percent disapprove his handling of the deficit.
The public pessimistic sentiment over the economy comes in part from the poor job numbers. The U.S. unemployment rate edged up to 9.1 percent in May from 9 percent in the previous month, the Labour Department reported last Friday. The non-farm sector added 54,000 new jobs, far short of the 200,000 monthly level that economists believe robust enough to slash the unemployment rate over the long run.
The poll also showed Obama is leading five of six potential Republican presidential rivals tested in the poll. But he is in a dead heat with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who formally announced his presidential bid last week.
Among all Americans, Obama and Romney are tied at 47 percent each, and among registered voters, the former governor is leading by 49 percent to 46 percent.