Pew poll: Obama's public support is eroding

(people-press.org). A new poll by the independent Pew Research Center for the People & the Press has found that President Barack Obama's popular support is eroding, with his approval rating dropping below 60 percent.

"President Barack Obama's approval rating has slipped, as a growing number of Americans see him listening more to his party's liberals than to its moderates, and many voice opposition to some of his key economic proposals," the Pew Center concluded.

Its new survey finds Obama's approval rating falling to 59 percent from 64 percent in February. It also finds the ranks of Americans who disapprove of the president's job performance rising, to 26 percent from 17 percent.

Among those who registered a jump in disapproval were Republicans, up 15 percentage points, and independents, up 13 points, Pew found.

One reason for the erosion of support could be that a plurality sees Obama aligned more with the liberal wing of his party as he pushes an agenda that calls for broad increases in government spending and taxes.

Pew found that Americans think by 44 percent to 30 percent that the president listens more to liberals than to moderates in his party. In January, 44 percent thought he listened more to moderates and 34 percent thought he listened more to liberals.