On The Day of Obama’s “Beer Summit” To Patch up his Stupidity Statement About His Harvard Professor Buddy Gates Arrest Poll Show Obama’s Approval In Crapper

Despite his public-relations blitz over the past two weeks to promote his plans to reform the nation’s President Barack Obamacare stimulus has lost ground on this issue with the American public, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Pluralities now say that the president’s health plan is a bad idea, and that it will result in the quality of their care getting worse. What’s more, just four in 10 approve of his handling on the issue.

The poll also finds that Obama’s overall job-approval rating has dropped to 53 percent. And it shows a public that has grown increasingly concerned about the federal government’s spending as the administration defends its $787 billion economic and supports a $1 trillion-plus health-care bill.

Both Rasmussen and Zogby who poll voters find that less than 50% approve of the job Obama is doing.

“This is a president who needs a vacation,” says Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted the survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. “His job rating is … certainly an acceptable mark. But if you look at it over time, it has [gone] south without a doubt.”

The good news for Obama, however, is that he remains the most popular politician in country, and Democrats continue to lead Republicans in the handling of several key issues, although the GOP has gained ground from a year ago.

But the poll, McInturff says, makes it clear that Obama - who had been gliding above the partisan fray - has come back down to earth. Conservatives and Republicans have moved away from him, while his numbers in the South and Midwest have declined.

“The question I asked back in February was: When does political gravity take hold?” he said. “The answer is in this survey. It is happening right now.”

That’s especially true on the issue of health care reform. As Congress works on its legislation and as Obama campaigns to get an overhaul enacted, 42 percent now say that the president’s plan is a bad idea, which is a 10-point increase since last month. Thirty-six percent say it’s a good idea.

In addition, 39 percent - a plurality - believe that Obama’s plan would result in the quality of their health care getting worse. That’s 15-point jump since April.

And just 41 percent approve of the president’s job on health care, which is nearly identical to Bill Clinton’s scores from 1994, when he failed to get Congress to pass health care reform.

The 91% of American who have healthcare insurance disapprove of Obama’s job on health care by a 51-38 percent margin. Those who lack insurance, however, approve of his job, 52% to 29% who disapprove.

The public also has concerns with the progress of the $787 billion economic stimulus that Obama signed into law in February. In the poll, 43 percent believe the legislation was a bad idea, up 16 points since January. Just 34 percent say the stimulus was a good idea.

Indeed, the poll finds that the public’s top concern about Obama’s young presidency is that he has spent too much money, increasing the size of the deficit.

And now, according to the poll, Republicans find themselves with a six-point advantage over Democrats on the question of which party would do a better job of reducing the deficit. It’s the first time Republicans have led Democrats on this question since 1997.

Only 48% say Obama can be trusted.