Des Moines Register Iowa Survey on Barack Obama

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president?

Among Likely Voters

• Approve 46%
• Disapprove 49%

Among Adults

• Approve 49% (53%) [64%]
• Disapprove 44% (41%) [29%]

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing with the economy?

• Approve 41% (47%)
• Disapprove 55% (48%)

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing with health care?

• Approve 34% (42%)
• Disapprove 55% (49%)

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing with the budget deficit?

• Approve 30% (36%)
• Disapprove 61% (56%)

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing with managing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

• Approve 38% (54%)
• Disapprove 49% (35%)

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing with relations with other countries?

• Approve 58% (62%)
• Disapprove 33% (31%)

Survey of 800 adults, includes responses from 539 likely voters, was conducted by Selzer and Co. November 8-11. The margin of error is +/- 3.5 percentage points among adults; +/- 4.2 percentage points among likely voters. Results from the poll conducted September 14-16 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted March 30 – April 1 are in brackets.

Inside the numbers:

The overwhelming majority of Iowa Democrats, 82 percent, approve of the job Obama is doing. Yet their support has dropped 8 percentage points, and that has driven Obama’s overall decline. In September, 90 percent of Iowa Democrats said they approved of the president’s performance.

Iowa independents, who fueled Obama’s leadoff caucus victory and his general election victory here, grew more disapproving this fall. Approval stalled at fewer than half of independents, while disapproval grew to 46 percent.

Republican approval, which began the year above 40 percent, has fallen off dramatically and remains low at 16 percent.

Of all partisan groups, Democrats’ disapproval of Obama’s job with the budget deficit has grown most, up 9 percentage points since September.

Support from Republicans was already low and independents had ebbed earlier, in light of the $800 billion stimulus package in Congress and continued bailouts of the financial and automotive industries.

Obama carried Iowa last year by 8 percentage points, winning 54 percent of the vote.