Poll: Public support for Obama on healthcare dips to 49%
Posted in News on July 20th, 2009 by admin – Be the first to comment
The Washington Post/ABC News poll shows a slide in support amid rising concerns about the economy and the federal deficit.
By Mark Silva
6:56 AM PDT, July 20, 2009
Reporting from Washington — As President Obama’s campaign-style push for healthcare reform continues, a poll published today found that, for the first time, public support for his handling of the issue has slipped below 50%.
The president’s overall job approval is 59% in the Washington Post/ABC News survey, the first time the poll has measured it below 60%. Other polls, notably Gallup, also have found the president’s approval slipping into the high 50s.
Just 49% said they approved of the way Obama was handling healthcare, down from 53% in June and 57% in April. The share of people voicing disapproval for the president’s handling of the issue has risen from 29% in April to 44% in the July survey.
The slide in support mirrors a loss of support on other domestic issues, “such as the economy and the federal budget deficit,” the Post noted, “as rising concern about spending and continuing worries about the economy combine to challenge his administration.”
Slightly more than half approve of the way the president is handling unemployment, which has climbed to 9.5% nationally and exceeds 10% in 15 states, including California.
Obama, who stepped up his call for Congress to act on healthcare reform last week, was scheduled to meet with healthcare providers at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington today and deliver a statement on the issue.
The poll was conducted July 15-18. The survey of 1,001 adults carries a possible margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
