Failing Grades for the Economy

The former University of Chicago law professor is continuing to get failing grades when it comes to the economy. Only 32%of Americans give President Obama a positive rating when it comes to his work on the economy, according to the latest Harris Poll. His rating has been virtually unchanged since the beginning of the year.

Three in five (59%) of adults polled say the economic conditions in their region of the United States are bad, 23% say they are neither good or bad, and just 18% say they are good. Midwesterners have the bleakest outlook - 64% say conditions there are bad.

The President finds only slight progress when it comes to Americans' outlook on jobs. Some 61% say the current job market in their region is bad, compared to 65% who called it bad in March.

While he is seeing a modest bounce in his overall ratings because of the successful raid against Osama Bin Laden, the president is not inspiring confidence about his handling of the economy, despite recent good news such as Chrysler paying back its government loans ahead of schedule. Until the recovery is felt more broadly, the economy will continue to threaten his political fate. As the Harris Poll points out, "The hope for the White House is that the economy and job market turns around and they, and President Obama, get the credit for that turnaround in time for next November's election."