Majority of Americans – and a Good Number of Liberals – Call Obama Presidency a Failure

A majority of Americans say Barack Obama's presidency has been a failure, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released Tuesday.

(AP)

That surpasses the number who believe Obama has had a successful presidency by 10 points, with 52 percent saying his nearly six years in office have been a failure, while 42 percent say he has had a successful presidency. When only registered voters are polled, the gap is even wider, 55 percent to 39 percent. Further, 41 percent say they “strongly” believe Obama has been a failure.

The Post points out that the numbers are similar to Obama's approval ratings, standing at 51 percent disapproval and 42 percent approval, while 54 percent of registered voters disapprove of the job Obama is doing and 42 percent approve. But nevertheless, 12 percent of those who approve of Obama also believe he is a failure, so it's not a direct overlap.

When further broken down, it's not good news even for the president's base. A quarter of Democrats polled and 29 percent of liberals think Obama is a failure – significant coming from a president's own party who presumably voted for him in 2008 and 2012.

Not surprisingly, an overwhelming 92 percent of conservative Republicans believe Obama has been a failure. But a significant 22 percent of self-identified conservatives – a different subset than conservative Republicans – say Obama has been a success. Further, almost half of self-identified moderates think Obama has been a success.