By CNN Political Unit
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Only four out of 10 Americans believe President Barack Obama can manage the federal government effectively, according to a new national poll.
And a CNN/ORC International survey released Monday morning also indicates that 53% of Americans now believe that Obama is not honest and trustworthy, the first time that a clear majority in CNN polling has felt that way.
According to the survey, conducted last Monday through Wednesday, 40% say the President can manage the government effectively. That 40% figure is down 12 percentage points from June and is the worst score Obama received among the nine personal characteristics tested in the new poll.
“A lot of attention has focused on the President’s numbers on honesty in new polling the past three weeks, but it looks like the recent controversy over Obamacare has had a bigger impact on his status as an effective manager of the government, and that may be what is really driving the drop in Obama’s approval rating this fall,” CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said.
Does being an effective manager count more than honesty?
“Just ask Bill Clinton, whose overall approval ratings remained high during and after the Monica Lewinsky scandal because three-quarters of all Americans thought he could get things done, even though only about one in five said he was honest,” Holland added.
Obama’s woes are not limited to honesty and his managerial skills.
Some 56% say he is not a person they admire, and an equal number say he does not agree with them on important issues. Also, 56% say he does not inspire confidence, and 53% don’t view him as a strong and decisive leader. All of those figures are all-time records for Obama in CNN polling.
There is a silver lining in the poll for the President: He’s still seen as someone who cares about ordinary Americans, six in 10 say he has a vision for the country’s future, and seven in 10 say he is likable — his best attribute of the nine items tested in this poll. But the numbers are down for admiration and likeability.
“It’s clear that views of Obama as a person — once his strong suit — have taken a hit in October and throughout 2013,” said Holland.
The poll was conducted November 18-20 for CNN by ORC International, with 843 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
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