WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama's job approval rating, weighed down by soaring gas prices, has plunged below 50 percent, giving his political opponents what appears to be an opening in the November election, a new opinion poll showed.
The survey by ABC News and The Washington Post indicated that only 46 percent of Americans now approved of the way Obama is handling his job and 50 percent disapproved.
The situation was a reversal from late February when 50 percent approved of the president's performance and 46 percent disapproved.
According to the survey, the drop was attributed to soaring gas prices threatening to crimp America's slow recovery from a recession.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts gasoline prices across the United States could average $4.25 a gallon by May, up from over $3.60 today.
Between 1998 and 2004, prices ranged from $1 to $2.
Prices vary wildly between regions, however, and last week, gasbuddy.com, a website that tracks prices in all 50 states, reported $5.09 a gallon at one Mobil and two Chevron stations in greater Los Angeles.
Given that 76 percent of Americans drive themselves to work, and a trip to the store can often mean a long drive to the mall, higher gas prices are a critical issue especially in a presidential election year.
The polls also found that 59 percent of Americans had given Obama negative ratings on the economy, and 65 percent disapproved of his handling of the gas price situation.
The president's sliding approval rating appeared to give new hope to Republican presidential contenders. The survey showed that if the election were held today Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney would beat Obama 49 percent to 47 percent.
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