Something has happened to President Obama's approval rating since 2013 started: it’s plummeted. The newest example comes from a CNN/ORC International poll showing Obama’s approval rating down 8 points and his disapproval rating up 7 points. 50 percent of those polled disapproved of Obama’s efforts while only 47% approved.

The director of the CNN/ORC poll, Keating Holland, said:

Americans still respond positively to the president's personal characteristics - it's his stands on the issues that they disagree with. Fewer than a third approve of how the president is handling the government's budget and fiscal policies, and the White House's 'charm offensive' has not registered with the American public.

Four other polls corroborate the CNN/ORC polls findings: an early March poll by Gallup saw Obama’s numbers the lowest they’ve been since the election in November; a McClatchy Marist poll last week testified that only 45 percent of those polled approved of him, which matched the lowest numbers he has registered, back in 2011; a Quinnipiac poll found his numbers had dropped from 53 percent to 45% since his reelection, and a Washington Post poll showed Obama at 50 percent, down 5 points since November’s election.