Two national polls released Tuesday morning found President Barack Obama continues to lose support while Gov. Rick Perry of Texas holds a commanding lead over the rest of the pack in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed Obama was upside down, with 44 percent approving of his performance in office while a majority -- 51 percent -- disapproved. A Politico/George Washington University Battleground poll mirrored those numbers, with 45 percent approving of Obamas performance and 50 percent disapproving.
Obama was not helped by a strong majority of those surveyed in both polls thinking the country was headed in wrong direction. Seventy-two percent in the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll and 73 percent in the Politico/GWU Battleground poll thought the nation was on the wrong track. Both polls found 19 percent of those surveyed thinking the nation was headed in the right direction.
Only 37 percent of those surveyed in the NBC/Wall Street Journal approved of the way Obama is handling the economy while 59 percent disapproved. These numbers were reflected in the Politico/GWU Battleground poll, which had 39 percent approving of Obamas management of the economy while 59 percent disapproved.
For the first time this year in the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Obama trailed a generic Republican candidate. The generic Republican took 44 percent while Obama followed with 40 percent. In the last NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, which was taken at the end of July, Obama took 42 percent while a generic Republican garnered 39 percent.
Obama did better when pitted against the two leading Republicans in the race. Obama beat Perry in the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, taking 47 percent, while the Texas governor followed with 42 percent. Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts did better against Obama than Perry. Obama barely edged Romney, taking 46 percent against the Republican who followed with 45 percent.
Among candidates for the Republican nomination, Perry topped theNBC/Wall Street Journal poll with 38 percent. Romney placed second with 23 percent. The rest of the pack trailed in single digits. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas took third with 9 percent followed by U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota with 8 percent. Two candidates from Georgia -- former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and businessman Herman Cain -- tied for fifth with 5 percent apiece. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania stood in seventh place with 3 percent while former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah trailed with 2 percent.
Perry also led the Politico/GWU Battleground poll with 36 percent, followed by Romney with 17 percent. Bachmann and Paul tied for third with 10 percent. Gingrich and Santorum tied for fifth with 5 percent followed by Cain with 4 percent. Huntsman lagged with 1 percent.
The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll of 1,000 adults was taken Aug. 27-31 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent. The Politico/GWU Battleground poll of 1,000 likely voters was taken Aug. 28-Sept. 1 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
