President Obama's approval ratings have taken a sharp turn for the worse, with more Americans than ever unhappy about his job performance and an overwhelming majority fearful the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to a poll released yesterday.

Obama's approval rating plummeted 5 percentage points from early last month, down to 45 percent, according to the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll of 1,000 voters.

For the first time since he was elected, more Americans disapprove of Obama than approve -- with 48 percent giving him a thumbs-down. Only 45 percent approved.

Less than half -- 49 percent -- rated Obama as having "strong leadership qualities," an 8-point drop since January and a 21-point plunge from when he was first elected.

Two months after oil began spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, half of those surveyed -- including one in four Democrats -- said they disapproved of Obama's handling of the crisis.

The survey indicated several troubling signs for Democrats in the midterm elections, as 62 percent of respondents reported feeling the country was on the wrong track, the highest number since the 2008 elections.

Only 44 percent of Obama voters expressed high interest in the elections, while 71 percent of John McCain's 2008 voters said they were excited.
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