Obama job rating hits low mark in New Jersey
ASBURY PARK, N.J. — President Barack Obama's honeymoon with New Jersey women is over.
A Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll out Wednesday finds that Obama's job rating has hit an all-time low in New Jersey, driven primarily by a decline among women.
The poll marks the first time that New Jersey women registered a net negative opinion of the president. Obama's rating among women in the state is 44 percent approve to 50 percent disapprove, compared with June's 50 percent approve to 46 percent disapprove.
Overall, 45 percent of New Jersey adults approve of Obama's work and 50 percent disapprove. Among registered voters, it's 41-54.
Retired teacher Rose Blanchard said Obama had it coming.
The Neptune resident is a registered Democrat but said she was offended by Obama's "latte salute" — when he held a coffee cup during a less-than-formal salute to waiting Marines outside a helicopter on Sept. 23.
Blanchard said her son is a Marine lieutenant colonel stationed in California after being deployed in Iraq.
"I was totally insulted by the latte salute and for me it validated my feelings about the president. I don't get the feeling he loves America," Blanchard said.
Pollster Patrick Murray said global unrest is among the factors softening Obama's numbers.
"We didn't ask about terrorism issues but fears about an unsure world hitting our shores and security concerns are making people more nervous and seems to be affecting women more than men," Murray said.
Political analysts say Obama benefited from the largest gender gap in decades when he defeated Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 election. Obama's strength among women voters wiped out Romney's advantage with men.
Murray said polls show a trend of Obama losing ground in other blue states, such as New York and California, but he said that will have little bearing on Democrats when they try to hold the White House in the 2016 election.
The poll did produce good news for Obama with a slight uptick in public approval of his signature domestic policy, the Affordable Care Act, one year after the beginning of enrollments.
New Jersey residents registered a split decision on Obamacare — 45 percent have a favorable opinion and 46 percent have an unfavorable opinion. In June it was 42-52.
The poll was conducted by telephone with 802 New Jersey adults, including 680 registered voters, from Sept. 17 to 21. The total sample has a margin of error of plus-minus 3.5 percent and the registered voter sample has a margin of error of plus-minus 3.8 percent.