Obama’s approval rating at all-time low in Ohio, poll says

President Obama’s approval rating among Ohioans has sunk to an all-time low, according to a poll released Wednesday morning.

Only 34 percent of Ohio voters say the president is doing a good job and 61 percent say he’s not, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.

Obama has the most support from Democrats (69 percent approve) and the least from Republicans (3 percent approve). Most independent voters (64 percent) disapprove.

Quinnipiac's last Ohio poll in June showed a 40 percent approval rating for Obama and a 57 percent disapproval rating.

“President Barack Obama’s popularity is at a record low in Ohio and the first time his approval rating has fallen below 40 percent in the state,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling institute, said in a release. “This is a state considered to be a national bellwether where he got 51 percent of the vote, just 12 months ago.”

Brown said the Affordable Care Act is to blame for the low numbers. Ohio voters oppose the health care law 59 to 35 percent and 45 percent say they expect their own health care to worsen in the next year.

If voters feel the same way in November 2014, Brown said, Republicans will have a leg up in elections.

“Voters still blame the Republicans more for the government shutdown, but that issue’s salience is being dwarfed by the opposition to ‘Obamacare,’” Brown said.

The survey also asked Ohio voters about possible 2016 presidential matchups between former first lady and secretary of state Hillary Clinton and a handful of Republicans.

If the election were held today, Clinton would beat all Republicans polled. She was preferred over New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 42 to 41 percent and over Ohio Gov. John Kasich, 49 to 38 percent. Kasich, who unsuccessfully ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2000, has brushed off speculation about a 2016 run. Kasich is up for re-election in 2014.

When asked whether Kasich would make a good president, 32 percent said yes, compared to 54 percent who said Clinton would do well in the post.

The Quinnipiac University poll surveyed 1,361 registered Ohio voters from Nov. 19-24 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.

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