Obama back to 51 percent disapproval in latest Gallup polling

President Obama’s job approval rating has ticked down to 41 percent in Gallup’s latest daily tracking poll, with his disapproval at 51 percent. 

It’s a drop from where the president stood at the beginning of December, and reflects the widest gap between the president’s approval and disapproval numbers in Gallup’s polling in recent weeks. 

The poll, which is based on three-day rolling averages, recorded a 44 percent job approval rating against a 48 percent disapproval rating as recently as Nov. 23-26, and a 44 percent approval rating compared to a 47 percent disapproval rating on Nov. 25-27. 

{mosads}Obama last polled under 41 percent on Oct. 17-19, when he recorded a 39 percent approval rating and a 54 percent disapproval rating.  

Obama has tried to go on the offense against congressional Republicans this fall, most recently during a speech in Kansas on Tuesday in which he channeled Teddy Roosevelt and his call for a square deal. The president is portraying himself as a battler for the middle class, and Republicans as protectors of the rich. 

The more aggressive posture has been accompanied with a modicum of good economic news, most recently a drop in the unemployment figure, which has boosted Democratic hopes that Obama can win another term. 

But the Gallup polling suggests Obama has his work cut out for him. While his approval numbers show about 40 percent of voters are with him steadily, he hasn’t polled higher than 45 percent since late July, when he managed a 46 percent approval rating.