In first, Minnesota poll finds Obama unpopular

Half of the residents of Minnesota now disapprove of President Obama’s performance, according to a new poll.

Results of The Star Tribune survey represent the first time that his approval rating has turned negative in the state since the president took office in 2009.

Obama’s job approval rating in the poll has fallen to 43 percent.

{mosads}Men had an especially unfavorable opinion of the president. According to the poll, 60 percent of Minnesotan men disapproved of his job performance, compared to 40 percent of women in the state.

People under 34 had the highest approval rating for Obama, with 59 percent saying they thought he was doing a good job in office.  

The statewide poll reflects a broader disapproval of the president that has been swelling across the country. Current national polls show Obama’s approval rating is among the lowest it has been while he has been in the White House.

Gallup’s daily tracking poll has shown that the American public’s approval of the president has waned since a recent peak shortly after the 2012 election. According to that national poll, 53 percent of the nation disapproved of Obama’s performance, while just 41 percent approved.

Obama easily won Minnesota in both the 2012 and 2008 elections. He won 53 percent of the vote against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, and got 54 percent in state in 2008, against Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).