DURHAM, N.H. -President Barack Obama's job performance rating in New Hampshire has dropped to its lowest level since his election. Obama's handling of the economy and health care reform continues to drag down his popularity.

These findings are based on the latest WMUR Granite State Poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Five hundred four (504) randomly selected New Hampshire adults were interviewed by telephone between April 15 and April 26, 2011. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 4.4 percent.

Despite a slowly improving economy, President Barack Obama's popularity continues to slide in New Hampshire. In the most recent Granite State Poll, 44 percent of New Hampshire adults say they approve of the job Obama is doing as president, 52 percent disapprove, and 5 percent are neutral. These figures are similar to his national ratings, a recent Gallup poll (April 25) showed 44 percent of U.S. residents approved of the job Obama is doing as President.

"Obama's approval rating has slipped below the 46 percent 'break even' point for reelection," said Andrew Smith, director of the UNH Survey Center. "Presidents with approval ratings above 46 percent typically get reelected while an approval rating below 46 percent typically results in electoral defeat."

For complete tabular results, visit http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2011_spring_presapp042811.pdf.

The UNH Survey Center has conducted survey research projects at the University of New Hampshire since 1976. The center has grown rapidly during the past 30 years and now conducts approximately 40 to 50 major survey projects each year. More information: http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

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Andrew Smith, director of the UNH Survey Center.
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