New! Obama's 11th quarter in office was the worst of his administration.

Obama Job Approval Average Slides to New Low in 11th Quarter Prior low was 45% in his seventh quarter

by Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup

PRINCETON, NJ -- President Barack Obama's 11^th quarter in office was the worst of his administration, based on his quarterly average job approval ratings. His 41% approval average is down six percentage points from his 10^th quarter in office, and is nearly four points below his previous low of 45% during his seventh quarter.

These results are based on Gallup Daily tracking from July 20-Oct. 19, 2011. During this time, Obama's approval rating ranged narrowly between 38% and 43% for all but a few days of the quarter. The 38% approval ratings, registered on several occasions, are the lowest of his presidency to date.

The most notable event in Obama's 11^th quarter was probably the negotiations to raise the federal debt ceiling in late July and early August. Shortly after the agreement was reached, the stock market plummeted after Standard and Poor's downgraded the U.S. credit rating. Later, the government's jobs report showed no new net jobs were created in August, a sign the economy was still a long way from recovery. The president has been unsuccessful so far in getting Congress to pass the jobs bill he proposed in early September.

Obama's 11^th Quarter Weak From Historical Perspective

Only one elected president since Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, had a lower 11^th quarter average than Obama.  (Continues here at Gallup)