The 'wrong track' finding in a new poll represents the most pessimistic outlook Americans have had of their country since Barack Obama became president. Poll: 62% say U.S. on wrong track

Sixty-two percent of Americans believe the country is on the “wrong track,” according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

And for the first time in the survey, more Americans disapprove of how the president is handling his job than approve. Forty-eight percent disapprove of Obama's handling of the presidency to 45 percent who approve.


Half of those polled disapprove of the president’s handling of the Gulf oil spill, an issue that now ranks second to the economy among concerns voiced by those interviewed.

The “wrong track” number represents the most pessimistic outlook Americans have had of their country since Barack Obama became president.

The poll also delivered some more bad news for incumbent members of Congress, as 57 percent said they would prefer to elect a new member of Congress rather than send back the incumbent representing their district.

Despite Obama’s waning approval ratings, the president is viewed more favorably than most other political entities or organizations.

Asked if they had a positive or negative sentiment when read a name, 47 percent had a positive response to the president – the highest rating of the ten people or groups polled.

Thirty-five percent had a positive response to the Democratic Party, 34 percent for the tea party movement, 30 percent for the Republican Party and 29 percent for both former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin and former President George W. Bush.

The poll was based on telephone interviews with 1,000 adults conducted June 17-21 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage.