As Economy Struggles, Barack Obama Sinks in New Q-Poll

A poll released on Thursday found that President Barack Obama slipped with voters in August and is now upside down as he prepares to run for re-election in 2012.

The poll from Quinnipiac University found that a majority -- 52 percent -- of those surveyed approved of the job Obama was doing while only 42 percent backed the president. In July, a poll from Quinnipiac found that 47 percent approved of Obamas performance in the White House while 46 percent disapproved. While Democrats continue to support him and Republicans remain opposed to him, Obama is upside down among independent voters. Only 40 percent of independents approved of the presidents job while 54 percent disapproved of Obamas performance.

Obama is not being helped by the economy. Back in a poll taken by Quinnipiac in January, 36 percent of those surveyed insisted the economy was getting better, while 20 percent said it was worsening. In the new poll, 49 percent maintain that the economy is worsening while only 11 percent maintain that it is improving. Seventy-six percent of those surveyed thought the nation was in a recession.

The poll of 2,730 registered voters was taken from Aug. 16-27 and hada margin of error of +/- 1.9 percent.