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WASHINGTON — President Obama’s approval rating has taken another dive in the polls, down to a mere 43 percent — while more than six of 10 voters believe the nation is on the wrong track.
The dismal results highlight the heavy burden on Democrats as they run to keep their jobs and their majority in Congress.
With the elections just three weeks away, Obama’s job approval rating dropped 4 points, from 47 percent just a month ago. It’s the lowest rating of his presidency in the Reuters/Ipsos poll. His disapproval rating has reached 53 percent.
Obama’s approval hasn’t been above 50 percent since May in the monthly survey.
Democratic approval of his handling of the economy dropped from 78 to 70 percent last month — the lowest rating of his presidency in the poll.
Any drop in support from his own party on the top election issue presents a serious problem for Democrats, who need a strong turnout from base voters to counter an anticipated surge in Republicans at the polls.
Republicans have grabbed a 4-point advantage, 48-44, over Democrats on the “generic” question of which party voters back in their congressional district.
A computer model that the pollsters created shows Republicans seizing the House, 227-208, and Democrats keeping the Senate, 52-48.
“It’s pretty hard for the Democrats not to keep the Senate and it would be pretty hard for the Republicans not to take the House,” said Cliff Young, who conducted the poll.
The number of likely voters who say the country is on the “wrong track” jumped to 63 percent — the highest figure since Obama took office in 2009.
Meanwhile, Republicans lead in eight out of a sample of 10 House seats being vacated by retiring lawmakers, according a series of polls conducted for The Hill newspaper by Penn, Schoen, Berland.
In another batch of polls the newspaper conducted last week, Republicans were ahead in 11 of 12 House seats held by freshmen lawmakers.
In the Wisconsin seat being vacated by powerful House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey after 41 years, Republican Sean Duffy — who was on MTV’s “The Real World” — has grabbed a 44-35 percent lead over Democrat Julie Lassa.
In the Arkansas seat being vacated by conservative “Blue Dog” Democrat Marion Berry, Republican Rick Crawford has seized a 46-34 lead over Democrat Chad Causey.
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), who heads the Republican campaign arm, predicts the party will pick up a number of seats in the “mid-40s,” more than the 39 needed to take over the House.
“We’re just a few weeks from what I believe will be a tsunami,” Sessions told Newsmax.