US President Barack Obama's popularity has slumped to an all-time low, with a majority of Americans for the first time believing him to be dishonest and untrustworthy, a new survey showed Tuesday. The respected Quinnipiac University Poll found that Obama's approval rating had nose-dived to the level of unpopularity faced by Republican predecessor George W. Bush at the same stage of his presidency.
Overall, the poll said 54 percent disapproved of the job Obama was doing against 39 percent who approved. The findings mark a significant downturn from an October 1 survey which put Obama's disapproval rating at 49 percent to 45 percent approval. It caps a turbulent few weeks for Obama, whose administration has come under heavy fire for the chaotic roll-out of his signature health care legislation, the Affordable Care Act.
American voters had also reacted strongly against Obama's misstated pledge to allow voters to keep the health care plans they already had, the survey revealed. "Like all new presidents, President Barack Obama had a honeymoon with American voters, with approval ratings in the high 50s," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.