Obama approval sinks to new low

More Americans disapprove of President Barack Obama’s job performance than ever before, according to a new poll.

An NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll released on Tuesday indicated that more than half of respondents are either disappointed or dissatisfied with Obama’s presidency.

54 percent of Americans said they believe the president is facing a long-term setback. That is the highest unpopularity mark in Obama’s presidency so far.

Only 28 percent of respondents gave him high grades for being able to deliver on his promises.

The US president’s controversial healthcare law, known as Obamacare, has been the main culprit for his waning popularity along with National Security Agency spying scandal and the government shutdown in October.

Only 34 percent of Americans said Obamacare is a good idea while 50 percent said it is a bad idea, the highest percentage on that measure since the NBC/WSJ poll began asking the question.

Another opinion poll released on Tuesday pegged Obama’s disapproval rating to 53 percent. That is the highest level the McClatchy-Marist poll has recorded in nearly 30 surveys.

According to the poll, a plurality of Americans, 38 percent, would grade all Washington officials with an F. Another 31 percent would give them a D, and 25 percent would give them a C.

Only 1 percent of the public, well inside the margin of error, would grade their elected officials with an A.

Meanwhile, Americans’ job approval ratings for Congress in 2013 have hit a record low. According to a Gallup poll released on Tuesday, the ratings averaged 14 percent, the lowest annual average in Gallup’s history.

“Congress approval has averaged below 20 percent in each of the last four years, and in five of the last six,” Gallup said.

According to the NBC/WSJ poll, 51 percent of Americans view the 113th Congress as “one of the worst” Congresses ever in terms of performance and accomplishments, the highest percentage since 1990.

The low approval ratings are a reflection of the Congress’ inability to improve the country’s generally negative economic indicators.