Obama hits low mark in another poll

David Jackson | USA TODAY

Another poll, another low water mark for President Obama.

A new Quinnipiac University survey says American voters disapprove of Obama's performance by 54% to 39%, the worst marks of his presidency.

As with similar polls in recent days, most of Obama's problems can be traced to criticism of the new health care plan, including website problems and cancellation notices on existing policies.

Quinnipiac noted that Obama had a 45% approval rating at the start of October, the month the health care plan rollout began.

"President Obama's misstatement, 'if you like your health plan, you can keep it,' left a bad taste with a lot of people," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Nearly half of the voters, 46%, think he knowingly deceived them."

Malloy added:

"Like all new presidents, President Barack Obama had a honeymoon with American voters, with approval ratings in the high 50s. As the marriage wore on, he kept his job approval scores in the respectable, though not overwhelming, 40s. Today, for the first time it appears that 40 percent floor is cracking.

"Any Democrat with an 11-point approval deficit among women is in trouble. And any elected official with an 8-point trust deficit is in serious trouble.

"President Obama's job approval rating has fallen to the level of former President George W. Bush at the same period of his Presidency."