Barack Obama’s approval rating falls to 45%

Are you unhappy with Barack Obama’s job performance and the direction he is taking the country? If you are, you’re not alone. A new Rasmussen poll has the President’s approval rating at just 45%. Just 27% strongly approve of his performance, while 42% strongly disapprove. It seems he also has weak support among Democrats, since just 52% strongly approve of his performance.

The President has seen a consistent downward trend in his approval ratings. His waning popularity could bode well for the defeat of the health care and cap-and-trade bills, among others. There will also likely be less pressure on moderates to blindly follow his lead. If his ratings were this low when the stimulus bill were being debated, there’s a good chance it wouldn’t have been passed, or would have at least looked very different.

The President’s approval rating might also be a harbinger of the 2010 midterm elections. If a growing number of Americans are dissatisfied with his policies, why would they continue to vote members of his party into office?