Most Americans Think Obama's Doing a Bad Job

President Obama's favorability has dropped to new lows, according to the Pew Research Center poll released on Friday. Fifty-three percent of Americans disapprove of Obama, while 41 percent view him in a positive light. The president was in New Orleans on Friday pushing for more spending on infrastructure projects, but his ideas may fall on deaf ears. It seems Americans don't think he's doing a good job on major issues like health care, the economy and immigration. 

On immigration policy, 60 percent think Obama's headed in the wrong direction. Though immigration reform has been declared all-but-dead for this year, that doesn't bode well for comprehensive reform in 2014. The Washington Post's Aaron Blake notes that Obama has fallen out of favor quickly on the issue -- in February, only 43 percent disapproved of his work.

Fifty-nine percent think Obama's messing up on health care policy, and 65 percent disapprove of the way he's handling the economy. Keep in mind that the Pew poll was conducted between October 30 and November 6 (so after the shutdown but before today's surprisingly positive jobs report). If Obama's downward slide continues, he could wind up with approval numbers as low as George W. Bush's were in his second term. In 2005, only 36 percent of Americans approved of Bush. Bill Clinton had a 58 percent approval rating at this point in his second term. 

Read more on The Atlantic Wire.