THE DOWNWARD TREND - AT 9:43 A.M. ET:  Rasmussen has just released his tracker for Friday.  What's striking is the repeat of spread in Ras's presidential approval index:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 27% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -14.

Today’s results match the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for this President and it’s the third straight day at -14. Prior to these three days, Obama’s ratings had fallen to -14 on only one day since taking office.

Obama doesn't fare much better in overall approval:

Overall, 47% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. Fifty-two percent (52%) now disapprove.

Rasmussen polls among likely voters, which we see here as the kind of polling most likely to be reflected in an election.

We stress, of course, that polls are snapshots, and can change quickly.  Also, this year's polling is not necessarily predictive of conditions next November, the time of major elections.

But what gets our attention is the intensity of the opposition to Obama.  The fact that 41% strongly disapprove his performance, and that this number has shown up three days in a row, has got to worry the White House.  Intensity is a critical factor in who goes to the polls, and who doesn't.  It was the intensity factor that worked powerfully in Obama's favor last year.  Now there's a reversal of fortune.

November 20, 2009