http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/obama_rotations/rating_president_obama_on_the_issuesRating President Obama on The Issues
45% Rate Obama's Handling of Immigration As Poor
in Politics
Monday, January 06, 2014
Coming off his reelection, President Obama signaled that immigration reform and stricter gun control were two of his top agenda items, but none of his initiatives in these areas made it into law. Voters remain critical of the president's handling of both issues.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 33% of Likely U.S. Voters give the president good or excellent marks when it comes to immigration issues, while 45% rate his performance in this area as poor. A year ago, Obama's positives in this area were 39%, and 37% rated him poor. His good or excellent ratings ran as high as 43% in late February, while his poor numbers peaked at 46% in July. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
When it comes to his handling of gun control, 31% now rate the president's performance as good or excellent. Thirty-nine percent (39%) think he's doing poor job. This compares to positives of 44% and negatives of 38% in January 2013. Those giving the president good or excellent marks have ranged from 30% to 45% over the past year, while his poor marks have run from 34% to 46%.
Most voters continue to put more border control first in any immigration reform plan, but fewer than ever trust the federal government to actually control the border if a new plan is passed.
Last month marked the one-year anniversary of the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Just after the shooting, 59% of Americans expected tougher gun control laws, and only 33% disagreed. Just 31% now think it is at least somewhat likely that Congress and the president will create stricter gun control laws. Fifty-nine percent (59%) consider that unlikely. Voters are evenly divided over the need for stricter gun control laws.
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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 2, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
The president’s total monthly job approval rating rose two points to 47% in December. That’s up from 45% in November, the president’s lowest monthly approval in two years, but still down nine points from December 2012’s recent high of 56%.
Men are more critical of the president when it comes to gun control and immigration than women are. Voters 40 and over are more likely to rate the president poorly in both areas than younger voters are.
The president also earns poor marks in both areas from most Republicans and a plurality of unaffiliated voters, but over half of Democrats give him good or excellent ratings.
A number of House Democrats have urged President Obama to halt the deportation of illegal immigrants until Congress passes a comprehensive immigration reform plan, but voters by a two-to-one margin oppose that idea. Most already think the federal government is not vigilant enough in deporting those who are in this country illegally.
Most voters, in fact, still believe the policies and practices of the federal government encourage people to enter the United States illegally.
More Americans than ever now believe tackling mental health issues rather than gun control is the best way to prevent mass murder incidents like the one in Newtown.
Seventy-three percent (73%) want stricter enforcement of the gun control laws already on the books.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 2, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
