Public Policy Polling for Daily Kos & SEIU (8/18-21, MoE: ±3.1%, registered voters, Obama trendlines 8/11-14, all others 8/4-7):
While this week's one-point downtick in President Obama's job approvals is tiny compared to last week's seven-point drop, it's hardly what his reelection team wants to see. This record low in PPP's polling is also paired with a new record low in Gallup's daily tracker, which puts Obama at an even worse 38-54. Interestingly, though, the president's favorables moved back up a net of five points since our last poll, creating a pretty wide 11-point spread between those who like Obama personally but dislike his policies.
The thing is, of course, that everyone we poll regularly has terrible numbers. In fact, as you can see, Obama's are actually the least bad of them all! I think we may be headed toward a very weird election where both parties are the targets of a lot of ire. Whenever a wave election approaches, a handful of desperate naysayers in the doomed party always tries to claim that it's not an anti-Dem or anti-GOP year, but rather an anti-incumbent year. It's never really been true, but maybe we'll finally see that happen in 2012.