Poll: Obama approval rating hits new low

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama's approval rating hit a new low with 51 percent of U.S. adults saying he is doing a poor job, a poll released Tuesday indicated.

Only 43 percent of respondents gave the president a positive rating, Angus Reid Public Opinion said. The August survey showed the number with a positive view falling by 2 percentage points while his negative rating jumped 5 points.

Another bad sign for Obama is the strength of his support. The percentage who strongly disapprove of his performance is 34 percent, more than twice the percentage of those who strongly approve.

There was a strong partisan swing, with 84 percent of Republicans saying they are dissatisfied, up 2 points, while 75 percent of Democrats approve of his performance, down 4 points. The percentage of independents with an unfavorable view of the president was up 9 points to 62 percent, while the percentage approving his performance dropped 4 points to 34 percent.

Angus Reid, based in Toronto, surveyed 1,007 members of its Springboard America panel on line between Aug. 27 and Aug. 29. The margin of error is 3.1 percent.