Poll: Obama's Actions Create Headwinds for Democrats as the Mid-Terms Approach

When he was inaugurated president in 2009, Barack Obama promised to “repair” America’s image in the world. A majority of Americans believed he would do that.

But now, according to a new CBS News poll, more Americans believe that Obama is hurting America’s image in the world. The poll finds that 43% of Americans believe that America’s image has gotten worse since Obama became president. Just 32% believe that our image has improved under Obama’s watch.

More Americans also disapprove of Obama’s handling of the crisis in Ukraine than approve of it. A majority do support sanctions — 53% — but 46% disapprove of how Obama is handling the crisis. Just 38% approve. Just 32% of Americans believe that sanctions will have any meaningful effect in the crisis, though.

Overall, 42% of Americans view Russia as “friendly” to America, while 51% view it as “not friendly.” That finding indicates that more Americans would side with Mitt Romney today than in 2012, when Romney declared Russia to be America’s prime geostrategic foe, and Obama and the allegedly mainstream media mocked him for it.

The same poll finds Obama’s overall job approval rating at 43%, higher than most recent polls by a point or two. The poll is full of bad news for the president as he and his party head into the final mid-term elections of his tenure. More Americans disapprove than approve of his handling of foreign policy, the economy and health care. He has also lost majority support on immigration and his handling of the war in Afghanistan.

Republicans go into the mid-terms with more voter enthusiasm behind them, driven largely by the president’s signature and unpopular Obamacare law. The poll finds that 81% Republicans definitely intend to vote, versus just 68% of Democrats. Independents are also breaking against Obama.