Poll: Amid scandals, Obama's approval dips
As his administration grapples with a series of recent controversies, President Obama faces a dip in his approval ratings, dropping to 45 percent approval from 48 percent a month ago, with more voters now disapproving than approving of his job performance, according to a new survey from Quinnipiac University.
According to the poll, conducted from May 22-May 28 among 1,419 registered voters, 45 percent approve of Mr. Obama's job performance, and 49 percent disapprove. In a Quinnipiac poll published May 1, 48 percent of registered voters approved of the president's performance, and 45 percent disapproved.
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The drop is particularly noticeable among independent voters, among whom 37 percent viewed approved of his performance and 57 percent disapproved. A month ago, 42 percent of independent voters approved and 48 percent disapproved.
Over the past several weeks, the Obama administration has been dogged by various so-called scandals: The IRS has been under fire for having targeted conservative groups for tougher scrutiny when applying for tax-exempt status; the Justice Department was revealed to have subpoenaed the phone records and other information from a handful of journalists who were investigating stories about national security; and Republicans continue to raise questions about the administration's handling of last year's terrorist attacks in Benghazi.
In light of these issues, which have dominated the political news cycles for a few weeks, registered voters are mixed on whether or not Mr. Obama is honest and trustworthy: 49 percent say he is, and 47 percent say he is not. The president scored higher on that question - 58 to 37 percent - when it was last asked in September 2011.
Most registered voters (76 percent) want a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS for its conduct, while 43 percent say the criticism regarding Benghazi is "just politics." Thirty-seven percent (compared to 24 percent) say the justice department's seizure of journalists' records raise "legitimate concerns."
A total of 68 percent of voters are "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied" with how things are going in America today, according to the poll.
