Rasmussen’s latest three-day average of presidential approval from likely voters hits a new low on the “presidential approval index,” or what I call the “passion index.”  Strong disapproval now outstrips strong approval by 22 points, matching the record low of Barack Obama’s presidency.  Overall approval dropped to 43%, despite increasingly positive media coverage of Obama:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 24% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-six percent (46%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -22 (see trends). …

Overall, 43% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president’s performance. Fifty-six percent (56%) disapprove. The Rasmussen Reports Media Meter shows that media coverage of President Obama has been 55% positive over the past week.  Coverage of the president has become significantly more positive over the past week.

What does this tell us?  Not much we didn’t know before.  Obama actually scores slightly better among likely voters than he did in the last USA Today/Gallup poll among registered voters, when he only got a 41% approval rating. He’s heading downward, and the big question will be the floor approval rating.  For George W. Bush, it was in the low 30s, and Obama is flirting with becoming a thirtysomething President.

On the issues, Rasmussen’s internals on approval paint a bleak picture:

• Economy: 41%
• National security: 44%
• Energy: 31%
• Ethics: 36%

The economy is the big issue for the midterms, and the biggest liability for Democrats in regards to their relation to Obama.  The demographics on this question are stunningly bad for Obama, and a big problem for his party.  Fifty-nine percent overall disapprove of Obama’s performance on the economy.  Almost two thirds of independents rate Obama as only fair or poor (61%), with 44% saying “poor,” while only 16% rate him as “excellent.”  Men give him a 35/65 rating, and women a 46/53.  Majorities in every age demographic disapprove of his performance on the economy, even 18-29YOs (44/53), his best age demographic.  Even self-described moderates disapprove in large numbers, 39/60.  Among the income demographics, only the <$20K group give him a positive rating at 58/39; all others have large majorities disapproving.

If the economy drives this election, Obama will act as an anchor on Democrats in the House and Senate.  The latest numbers to come out of Commerce will only accelerate that trend, and the insistence on pitching the stagnation as “Recovery Summer” will just convince more voters that Barack Obama is hopelessly out of touch.