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Voters grant President Barack Obama an overall positive job rating of 43%, according to a new poll by Zogby Analytics, conducted December 17 and 18. The nationwide online poll of 881 likely voters shows a majority (54%) disapproving of Mr. Obamas job performance and 3% not sure.

In many ways the real truth behind this poll can be found among several key sub-groups in the Obama coalition where the President has slipped below 50% approval, including men and woman who only rate the President 40% and 45% positive, 30-49 year olds who are split 49% to 48%, moderates who are split 48%-48%, Catholics who are only at 45%-54%, NASCAR Fans 48%-49%, the Investor Class 48%-52%, Weekly Wal-Mart Shoppers 47%-50%. The LGBT voters are only at 50%-36% approval-disapproval. These are all significant declines for the President because these are all groups that provided high levels of support for him in 2012.

At the same time, he has also dropped among 18-29 year olds to just 54% approval, 40% disapproval, Hispanics to 61%-39%, and African Americans 83% to 17%. His positive ratings are a tad lower among Democrats (78% to 21%), and liberals (79%-20%).

Mr. Obama is now clearly in full legacy protection mode. He is certainly not acting like a lame duck. He can at least take cheer in the fact that he continues to outpace the publics view of Congress (19% approve-74% disapprove), the Democrats in Congress (30%-64%), and the Republicans in Congress (28%-66%). The flip side is that only 24% of voters feel the country is headed in the right direction, while 59% say it is off on the wrong track.

So he needs to act to fulfill his promises on immigration, foreign policy, the environment, and the minimum wage and to fulfill the promise that voters once saw in him. He will obviously not get much backing from the 114th Congress and his executive orders at least are in the face of his much less popular opposition. But he will need to win back his base and this new poll shows how much he has to do. Ultimately, his actions may help somewhat, but he will be dependent on the economy. Continued growth in new jobs and a rise in consumer confidence will help him just as any slowdown in both will hurt him badly. But how the public views him overall will only see a significant upgrade if he is able to address in real terms the issue of income inequality. That depends to a large degree on raising the minimum wage. The public continues to strongly support this and even three states where the Democrats lost Senate seats voted in favor of it. It is highly doubtful that the GOP can go into 2016 having opposed or (stonewalled on) it.

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Obama Approval at 43% in December Zogby Analytics Poll

By Eric Bradner, CNN

December 21, 2014 -- Updated 1421 GMT (2221 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama says he plans to push to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility during his final two years in office -- potentially fulfilling a major campaign promise that he hasn't yet accomplished.

"I'm going to be doing everything I can to close it," Obama said in an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley that aired Sunday on "State of the Union."

"It is something that continues to inspire jihadists and extremists around the world, the fact that these folks are being held," Obama said. "It is contrary to our values."

Related: Obama calls alleged North Korea hacking vandalism, not war

The President's comments follow a flurry of executive action at the start of what he called his "fourth quarter" in the Oval Office -- after Republicans walloped Democrats in November's midterm elections, taking control of both houses of Congress.

After the election, Obama quickly announced an overhaul of U.S. immigration rules and new regulations aimed at curbing environmentally-harmful emissions. He followed those moves this week with a deal that represented the biggest steps to thaw the economic freeze with Cuba in decades.

The Guantanamo Bay, Cuba detention facility -- which Obama pledged to shut down as part of his 2008 campaign, but saw his plans thwarted when Congress passed a law prohibiting him from doing so -- could be another target ripe for executive action.

Read this article:
Obama to do 'everything' to shut Gitmo

Part of complete coverage on

By Eric Bradner, CNN

December 21, 2014 -- Updated 1420 GMT (2220 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama says he doesn't consider North Korea's hack of Sony Pictures "an act of war."

"It was an act of cybervandalism," Obama said in an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley that aired Sunday on "State of the Union."

But he stuck by his criticism of Sony's decision to cancel its plans to release the movie "The Interview," which includes a cartoonish depiction of the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, after the country threatened attacks against theaters that showed it.

Obama said in a Friday news conference that Sony made "a mistake," and that he wished the company had called him first. That led Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton to tell CNN that Obama and the public "are mistaken as to what actually happened." He blamed movie theater companies that opted not to show the film, saying they forced Sony's hand.

Related: Sony exec fires back at Obama

Investigators: Hackers stole Sony passwords

Original post:
Obama: Hack 'cybervandalism'

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