Political Hotsheet
CBS
When asked Tuesday by CBS Pittsburgh affiliate KDKA whether he can impact gas prices, Mr. Obama said, "Understandably people are frustrated when gas prices are going up, and there are things we can do, but they're not going to result, provide results overnight."
This poll was conducted by telephone from March 7-11, 2012 among 1009 adults nationwide. © 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Poll: Obama's approval rating sinks to new low
CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.
(CBS News) President Obama's approval rating has hit the lowest level ever in CBS News polling, according to the latest CBS News/New York Times survey. The drop may be partially attributable to rising gas prices.
Just 41 percent of Americans approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing as president, according to the poll, conducted from March 7 to 11. Another 47 percent disapprove of his performance, up from 41 percent last month.
Mr. Obama's approval rating was 50 percent last month.
The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped 12 cents over the past two weeks. The poll found that most Americans, 54 percent, believe gas prices are something a president can do a lot about.
Americans have historically felt that a president can control gas prices, though experts attribute changes to a variety of factors, many outside of a president's control. They also felt this way when gas prices spiked during the administration of former President George W. Bush.
CBS
The president noted that the U.S. has reduced its dependence on foreign oil under his administration and that fuel efficiency standards for cars are being raised. The administration is exploring other ways to reduce prices, but Mr. Obama said the biggest contributor to the current high prices is rumors of war in the Middle East.
"Which is part of the reason I said a couple weeks ago let's stop with the loose talk about war," he said. "Because a lot of what's driving this is people's concern and fear that there might be major disruptions in the Middle East oil markets."
Attacks from the Republicans running to replace Mr. Obama may be having an impact on his approval rating as well. His disapproval rating has risen to 89 percent among Republicans (from 82 percent last month), and more independents now disapprove of his job performance than approve. Though Mr. Obama's approval rating among Democrats remains high, it has dropped seven points - from 85 percent last month to 78 percent today.
Of the four remaining GOP candidates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has hit Mr. Obama particularly hard on high gas prices, promising on the campaign trail to bring down the price to $2.50.
Jim Ritterbusch, president of an oil trading advisory firm, told CBS News there are no quick fixes.
"It's become somewhat of a political football," Ritterbusch said. "But none of the candidates or the current president can flip a switch and drive gas prices down to $3 a gallon."
Mr. Obama's job rating on the economy remains about the same as it was last month - 39 percent approve, while 54 percent disapprove.
The economy and jobs remains the most important problem facing the country today, according to 51 percent of Americans. Three in four Americans think the economy is at least somewhat bad, including 30 percent who say it is very bad.
More Americans, 30 percent, say the economy is getting better; 24 percent say it is getting worse. The public's economic outlook was slightly better last month, when 34 percent said the economy was getting better.
Most GOP voters expect Romney nomination
Most support U.S. military action to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons
Most say employers should be allowed not to cover contraception
Poll: Romney, Santorum narrow gap on Obama
Obama's approval rating sinks to new low
Just 20 percent of Americans feel their family's financial situation is better today than it was four years ago. Another 37 percent say it is worse, and 43 percent say it is about the same.
While his rating on the economy is about the same as last month, Mr. Obama's rating on foreign policy has dropped 10 points. Now, just 40 percent approve of his handling of foreign policy, while 41 percent disapprove. This is the first time since the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011 that more Americans disapprove than approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing handling foreign policy.
Amid speculation that Israel may consider attacking Iran to stop its nuclear ambitions, Americans are split on the president's handling of the situation in Iran: 42 percent approve, while nearly as many - 39 percent - disapprove. Nineteen percent don't know.
CBS Radio News' Rob Mank contributed to this report.
Read the complete poll (PDF)
Search the CBS News poll database
This poll was conducted by telephone from March 7-11, 2012 among 1009 adults nationwide.
878 interviews were conducted with registered voters, including 301 with voters who said they plan to vote in a Republican primary. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The margin of error for the sample of registered voters could be plus or minus three points and six points for the sample of Republican primary voters. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
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1. Benghazi loss of lives to appear to be about a video when it was about a terrorist group attacking on the anniversary date of 9/11. The cover up and subsequent misleading statements were conceived to reduce the public into believing that the attack was spontaneous. Obama, Obama administration and secretary of state-Pentagon are culpable for the deaths at Benghazi for not beefing of security prior to the attacks after repeated request and real time information that could have allowed CIA and troops to rescue this embassy.
2. The AP Justice department issue was because the Obama Administration had led the american public by a press release that their were no terrorist activity when indeed a terrorist attack by an International Air carrier had been recently been thwarted. Again the Obama administration thwarted the correct information while the AP made the story accurate. Obama (Admin) now is breaking the first amendment - freedom of press- this again was orchestrated prior to the election.
3. Last but not least political opponents of the Obama administration were being held at bay by the IRS prior to the election for 2 years for attaining status 2010. All public confidence is lost in the IRS to be bi-partisan and Michelle Bachman is right that we should not allow the IRS to administer Obama care- this could happen repeatedly on a different level for our health care.
The previous and other key events were orchestrated to win the presidential election at all cost. The cover up of these events prior to the election are impeachable offenses and Obama should be removed from office by Congress. All americans should be concerned that this Chicago style manipulation took place to move the independent voter to status quo. The election would have been appreciably different- the polling numbers statistics would easily prove Obama was trying to prove the war on terror was over with the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Obama administration reduced the number of groups attacking him prior to the election using the IRS. The DNC and the Obama administration had the motive for all this to win the presidential election of 2012 at all cost.
It took BO 14 days to visit the gulf coast after the BP oil spill.
BO declined to visit historic 2010 "1000 year floods:.
BO ignored Texas wildfires when over 400 homes were lost.
And, of course, BO IGNORED the calls and emails for help from Benghazi...
But it took BO only one day to visit the hurricane Sandy damage on the East Coast..
Then again there's an election coming up In a few days.
Hi Greg has Obamacare given you an option to obtain coverage that is reasonable?
Do you know how much Obamacare will cost you or me or employer groups or what the terms of coverage will be?
Each state is left to establish whether that state will participate in the Obamacare Pools or if that state will offer an alternative plan and not be a part of Obamacare.
The premiums of Obamacare are so high anyone with preferred coverage now would not want to switch to Obamacare so only the un-insurables will go into that plan.
This will create adverse selection and will bankrupt Obamacare in a short amount of time. The premiums will have to be increased to pay for the adverse selection of the participants.
This is not a well thought out concept. This law was passed without evaluation by all of Congress because they did not give time to read & analyze the law before putting it up for a vote.
Any law this important should be well evaluated, before voting into actual law, by the voters FIRST for approval.
Congress or the President should have NEVER tried to RAILROAD OBAMACARE ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
I believe this law will not be constitutionally approved as written.
I believe a republican will win the presidency this Nov and will overturn what is left of Obamacare.
I believe Obamacare will kill Medicare and Medicaid programs that work well in those states where they are administered properly.
I believe the American Voters DEMAND and have THE RIGHT TO VOTE first on weather VOTERS want this law to be implemented; before Congress and the President RAILROADS OBAMACARE onto the American Voters without proper evaluation or approval.
If your income from unemployment drops then you should be able to qualify to be covered by Medicaid through social security, which should pay 100% but you have to fill out the papers to get on Medicaid.
This is not a democratic solution without the voters approval of the law before enforcing.
Obama is too sneeky to pass this Obamacare Law so quicky that no Congressmen had a chance to evaluate and debate this law; then why did the Democratic Controlled Congress allow it?
Voters do not and should not trust this sneaky OBAMACARE RAILROADED on the American Voters.
America needs an Assigned Risk Medical Insurance Plan that allocates un-insurables coverage with preferred insurance groups including self insured, federal govt employee and military medical groups; to apportion coverage for un-insurables based solely on the number of enrollees, not based on dependents. Un-insurable Enrollees cannot have any choice of coverage this will be a comprehensive standard plan including PCS drugs at fair substandard rates insured by the assigned groups and not claim rated.
CRUISER4NEWS
OBAMA IS 100% responsible for this RAILROAD OF THE AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM & THE AMERICAN VOTERS. HARRY REID & PELOSI were KEY ACCOMPLICES facilitating this OBAMACARE.
Perhaps as much as 40 percent of America wants to believe President Obama was not born in Hawaii, that the ecomonic mess we're in didn't start with Republican policies, that unfunded wars are okay, and that a president can do anything substantive about gas prices that oil speculators and oil companies control and profit by. If, as Republican capitalists believe, the market determines prices, that supply and demand are the backbone of our economy, then this should be a simple thing to understand.
But, again, those GOP supporters who didn't pay attention in civics, economics and geography classes show how the ignorant underclass of America has been hijacked by the propaganda they are too illiterate to see through.
Wake up Blue Collar America. You are being used. Go ahead and admit it. You haven't got the guts to say the truth. You don't like or respect any minority that doesn't bend to your racist views. You don't like the guy because he's black, a member of the negroid race. But you have to come up with some other reason because to expose your real feelings and bigoted beliefs would be tantamount to an admission that the GOP is, at its base, a white racist subset of America.
Believe it, middle income white, caucasoid people; the wealthy Republicans rooting you on will take your rights away and tax your $25,000 to $150,000 a year until you choke. And unless you start reading history and watch something other than the product of an organization like NewsCorp, well, you will get what you asking for. But then it may be too late.