Obama Job Approval In A Tailspin

Barack Obama's job approval numbers melting with the August heat. His approval rating has dropped 16 percentage points in just six months, worse than any other president in his first term in office since polling began.

The faltering economy and the ill-conceived health care plan have combined to drop Obama's job approval rating to 49%, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports.

"Last November, the President won 53% of the vote nationwide. His overall approval has now been below 53% among likely voters every day for a month," Rasmussen Reports states.

More from Rasmussen Reports:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 30% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -8.

Forty-four percent (44%) of voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats on health care. Forty-one percent (41%) trust the Democrats more. While those numbers are essentially a toss-up, they represent a significant shift in opinion. It’s the first time Republicans have held any advantage on health care in years of tracking the issue. In June, the Democrats held a ten-point advantage on health care.

The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve. Overall, 48% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That's up a point from yesterday but down five points from a month ago.

Last November, the President won 53% of the vote nationwide. His overall approval has now been below 53% among likely voters every day for a month.

Fifty-one percent (51%) now disapprove.

For more poll results, check out Rasmussen Reports.