“BOOM,” says the latest McClatchy-Marist poll:

If President Barack Obama had piled up political capital with his impressive re-election, it’s largely gone. His approval rating has dropped to the lowest level in more than a year, with more voters now turning thumbs down on his performance than thumbs up, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll. The measure of how much people like him also has dropped. He’s still vastly more popular than Congress, particularly congressional Republicans. But in the biggest political clash of the year — over the federal budget and how to curb deficits — voters split 44 percent to 42 percent between preferring Congress or Obama.

The numbers: 45 percent of voters approve of the way he’s handling his job, 48 percent disapprove. Steven Thomma of McClatchy puts those numbers in context:

That was down from a 50 percent approval rating in November and December, and the lowest since November 2011. It also was the first time that more people disapproved of his work than approved since November 2011, when his rating was 43-50. Obama’s personal popularity also has declined, with 48 percent of voters having favorable impressions of him and 48 percent having unfavorable impressions. That was down from 53-44 in December. It also was the lowest since November 2011, when it was 47-49.

“Man, that guy is falling fast!” said Icarus.

The article also notes:

At least some of the president’s fall to Earth lies in the fact that voters no longer see him in the context of an election. He has to stand alone in the eyes of voters again and doesn’t benefit from the comparison with Republican rival Mitt Romney.

In light of that, we should expect the White House to seek out a new stand-in for Romney, some Republican who they can demonize and use as a contrast. Speaker John Boehner and House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan seem like the most likely targets.

Bummer.