The most recent ABC News/Washington Post poll and NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll show all-time lows in public approval for both the administration and Congress after this summer’s debt ceiling crisis and S&P credit downgrade. Obama’s approval now rests between 43 and 44 percent, according to the two polls, while the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that Congressional approval has fallen to just 13 percent.
The ABC News/Washington Post poll also slams congressional Republicans, finding that only 28 percent of the country approves of the job that they’re doing. The poll did not measure the approval rating of congressional Democrats.
So, are Obama’s reelection hopes in jeopardy? It’s possible; however, there is no clear frontrunner in the GOP Presidential Primary. According to the ABC News/Washington Post poll, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is leading with 27 percent of registered Republican voters behind him. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is close behind with 22 percent and potential candidate Sarah Palin rounds out the top three with 14 percent support.
If Palin stays out, the Republican Party may split between the hard-line conservatives and tea party activists who will likely support Perry and the moderate conservatives and independents who will unite behind Romney. To complicate the mix even more, the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Obama up five points on Perry while he trails Romney by one point.
Regardless, all this data is premature at this point since there is still over a year until the general election and various Republican debates to come. Whatever happens, look for office holders and candidates to vie for public relations points within the next months because - let’s be honest - most of them need it.
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