WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's national standing has slipped to a new low after his victory on the historic health care overhaul, even in the face of growing signs of economic revival, according to the latest Associated Press-GfK poll.

The survey shows the political terrain growing rockier for Obama and congressional Democrats heading into midterm elections, boosting Republican hopes for a return to power this fall.

Just 49 percent of people now approve of the job Obama's doing overall, and less than that — 44 percent — like the way he's handled health care and the economy. Last September, Obama hit a low of 50 percent in job approval before ticking a bit higher. His high-water mark as president was 67 percent in February of last year, just after he took office.

The news is worse for other Democrats. For the first time this year, about as many Americans approve of congressional Republicans as Democrats — 38 percent to 41 percent — and neither has an edge when it comes to the party voters want controlling Congress. Democrats also have lost their advantage on the economy; people now trust both parties equally on that, another first in 2010.

Roughly half want to fire their own congressman.

Adding to Democratic woes, people have grown increasingly opposed to the health care overhaul in the weeks since it became law; 50 percent now oppose it, the most negative measure all year. People also have a dim view of the economy though employers have begun to add jobs, including 162,000 in March. Just as many people rated the economy poor this month — 76 percent — as did last July.

And it could get worse for Democrats: One-third of those surveyed consider themselves tea party supporters, and three-quarters of those people are overwhelmingly Republicans or right-leaning independents. That means they are more likely to vote with the GOP in this fall's midterms, when energized base voters will be crucial amid the typical low turnout of a non-presidential election year.

With the electorate angry, Republicans enthusiastic and Democrats seemingly less so, Obama's party increasingly fears it could lose control of the House, if not the Senate, in his first midterms. The GOP, conversely, is emboldened as voters warm to its opposition to much of the president's agenda.

On the minds of Democrats and Republicans alike: the Democratic bloodletting in 1994, when the GOP seized control of Congress two years after Bill Clinton was elected president. But the less-dispiriting news for Democrats is that it's only April — a long way to November in politics.

Still, persuading change-minded voters to keep the status quo will be no easy task given that most people call details of the health care overhaul murky and that the unemployment rate is unlikely to fall below 9 percent by November.

The key for Obama and his party: firing up moribund Democratic voters while appealing to independents who are splitting their support after back-to-back national elections in which they tilted heavily toward Democrats and caused the power shift.

None of that will be easy.

Just listen to independent voters who typically decide elections.

"He's moving the country into a socialized country," Jim Fall, 73, of Wrightwood, Calif., said of the president. He worries that Obama is too "radical left wing" and that government has grown too big, saying: "He is constantly in our lives more and more and more and more."

Fall was just as down on the Democratic-controlled Congress: "They're horrible. I think all they do is talk," he said, adding that Republicans acted no differently when they had power: "Just spend and spend and spend."

In Spokane, Wash., Angela Hardin, 43, was just as disapproving.

"I don't like what's going on," the small business owner said. "He is just making a huge mess out of everything. ... He's all over the map. It's like, 'Slow down! Breathe! Think!'"



As for Democrats in Congress, she said: "I'm not happy with them." Republicans, she said, may be better. But she's really ambivalent toward any of them: "It's just beyond me how they can sit up there with all of their college degrees and fight like they were in middle school."

The new poll findings also show:

• Equal percentages of Democrats — 87 percent — approve of Obama's job performance as Republicans — 88 percent — disapprove. Independents are about split, 50 percent disapprove to 47 percent approve. And, when it comes to Congress, 91 percent of Republicans, 65 percent of independents and even 51 percent of Democrats disapprove.

• The tea party coalition remains fuzzy to most people; only 16 percent say they know a great deal or a lot about this political phenomenon born a year ago.

Obama remains a polarizing figure, as does Congress.

"He's trying to do what he said we was going to do," said David Jeter of Los Angeles, 51, who votes Democratic and co-owns a lighting business. Jeter credits Congress with passing health care but wonders: "Now what will they do? ... I watch Congress with bated breath, but I don't expect that anything is going to radically alter my life."

A New York Times/CBS News poll released Thursday found that an overwhelming majority of tea party supporters believe Obama doesn't share the values of most Americans or understand the problems of people like them.

The poll found that people who identify themselves as tea party backers — nearly one in five Americans — are wealthier and better educated than the general public and tend to be white, male, married and older than 45. They tend to be Republican, but more conservative than Republicans in general, the poll found. They tend to see Obama as "very liberal" and are "angry" rather than merely dissatisfied with Washington.

Though former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin draws raucous cheers at tea party rallies, a plurality of tea party supporters see her as unqualified to be president, according to the poll.

The AP-GfK Poll was conducted April 7-12, 2010 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media. It involved interviews with 1,001 adults nationwide on both landline and cellular telephones. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points. The Times/CBS News poll was conducted April 5-12. Its margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Why can't the "annointed one" speak off the cuff to kids?

Bush felt right at home in that fifth grade class.

See, this is where I get concerned. When all Obama supporters can come back with is a remark about Bush, there's a problem. Just because he's not Bush doesn't mean he's doing a good job. Less bad (and even that is debatable IMHO) doesn't mean good. You've got to move past Dubya at some point; he hasn't been the President in almost 1.5 years. And I'm no fan of Bush, trust me. I don't like politicians in general, but I recognize that they're a necessary evil. You've just got to hold your nose and hope that they do more good than harm.

I don't look at Bush personally, but I was a vehement opponent of many Bush policies -- the war in Iraq, opposition to stem cell research, lack of incentives to reduce off-shoring of jobs, deregulation of the financial industry, his disastrous foreign policy record, etc., etc. I never viewed Bush as evil, but IMO he was misguided and, worst of all, easily handled by others. I think it's fair to say he was far from the smartest president that ever served, and probably pretty close to the other end. He inherited a national tragedy, 9/11, which some could argue was a failure by his security officials who were warned. That point is debatable, but his actions after were not -- invading a nation which had nothing to do with 9/11, had no Al Quaida presence, and had no weapons of mass destruction. Bush may in fact have been duped, as so much of the nation was, by special interests who were hell-bent in going into Iraq, and looked for any reason to justify it, regardless of the facts and/or lack of merit. Brains really are a pre-requisite for holding the highest office in the land, and lacking in them, or good natural instincts, will cause untold damage to the nation. As for Obama, too early to tell. While I voted for him, I can't say I'm ecstatic by his actions and results thus far. At best, I'd grade him an incomplete at this point.

Can't disagree with anything you said, Robbs. Unfortunately, it's been awhile since we've had a truly great President. I actually voted for Obama over Hillary in the primaries, then went with McCain (grudgingly) in the general election. I just didn't think Obama had the experience, but I liked him better than Clinton for some reason. I agree with him on some things (I actually love his stance on wanting to judge teachers based upon their results instead of perpetually shielding them with tenure) but on others, he loses me. But I guess everyone's point of view is different.

That was directed mostly as a joke. And he was brought up in the post I was responding to (as a comparison by the author). It wasn't me.

Devilsfan -- I think McCain lost the election the day he selected Palin as his running mate. I can't tell you how many Republican friends of mine told me that he lost their vote that day. Had McCain chosen Romney, the economic melt-down may have played out very differently for him as Romney would have been promoted as someone with much business acumen, over Obama's inexperience. I really don't think Palin has a political future in the sense of holding an elected office, nor do I believe she wants one, as she herself knows her limitations and she's cashing out for the big money in her present role. However, unless she tones down her political rhetoric, she may very well doom the Repulican party even further, as it will be divided and split between those that share some of her extreme right views, and the more moderate wing of the party. In other words, she'll never take votes from Democrats, but she will take votes away from mainstream Republicans.

Robbbs, excellent post and can't disagree. Do you think insecurity caused him to pass on Romney. At dinner before he chose Palin, my neighbor and I both agreed that regardless if McCain won or lost it would set Romney up as a powerhouse choice in the next election. I agree about Palin. She w'ont take dem votes and right now I know a bunch of dem voters that are looking for a moderate republican for the next President. These folks are disgusted with Obama, Pelosi and the whole party for the most part. Like me they just want a well qualified centrist in office, doesn't matter if he's rep or dem but they think the dem party needs 5 years to cure itself.

I don't like the use of tenure either, however, when it comes to judging teachers and how well the kids are doing, I think the biggest problem is not with teachers but either the students or their parents or both.

Ice -- I've read that McCain genuinely doesn't care for Romney, and their personalities never clicked. I agree that McCain may have also felt some level of insecurity with Romney. As for the Democrats and Obama, I think the Dems will take a bit of a hit in the mid-term elections, not necessarily because of specific policy disagreements, but because people are still hurting economically and there will be a continuation of the "throw the bums out" mind-set. The Republicans face a new dilemna with the financial regulation issue. How do they manage to oppose it while not alienating a significant segment of the Republican base which is still upset at Wall Street's bail out? That's going to be a tough one and probably results in further splitting of the party. As for Obama's fortunes in 2012, he will rise or fall based on the economy and nothing else IMO. Forget current polls, health-care reform, financial regulation, the war in Iraq, etc. People will vote based on their perception of the economy's health and direction. Ignore the rhetoric of his opponents. If the economy is on a sustained upswing by 2012, Obama is a lock to get re-elected and wins easily. If the economy is faltering, he's toast. Barring unexpected issues, I'd say Obama's well positioned to benefit from an economy that will probably be in significantly better shape two years from now. Timing is everything in life.

Agree 100%. The economy makes all the difference and as you point out, in two years it probably will be doing better. The only time the economy takes a back seat is when it has been good for many years and other issues can take the forefront. That will not be the case in 2012 and an improving economy will weigh heavily in Obamas favor. However, I don't think he will have a majority of Democratic colleagues in Congress.

Hard to disagree; people vote their financial interests. If things are good, the guys in office get the credit. If people are hurting, they get the blame and as Robbs said, a lot of it has to do with timing and nothing else. I'm still concerned a bit about a double-dip recession; what is going to happen when all of the government stimulus and incentive programs are phased out? Is this a real recovery or one that is being artificially inflated? I'm not sure that the ills that got us into this mess in the first place have been cured.