President 2012 Poll Watch: Obama Weekly Approval at Term-Low of 40%

President Barack Obama’s job approval rating averaged 40% last week, tying his record-low 40% ratings for the two prior weeks that started on Aug. 8.

The Aug. 22-28 weekly average of Gallup Daily tracking includes Obama’s worst three-day average approval rating thus far in his presidency: 38% approval and 55% disapproval from Aug. 25-27. Gallup suspended Daily tracking on Aug. 28 because of the hurricane conditions affecting much of the East Coast.

Obama continues to receive broad support from blacks (83%); however, this is the third consecutive week he has earned less than majority support from Hispanics, and the current 44% — also registered the prior week — is his lowest from this group. Whites’ 32% average approval rating in each of the past two weeks is also a record low.

The demographic chart.

President Obama is between a rock and a hard spot with pandering to ethnic communities. If he delivers the political capital to one, he will alienate two others. Of course, this is what you reap when you play the race game and not the IDEA game.

So, what does this mean?

President Obama’s approval rating has leveled off at the low point of his presidency, averaging 40% for the third straight week. Notably, his approval rating among several groups that previously gave him strong majority support — postgraduates, Hispanics, 18- to 29-year-olds, and lower-income Americans — is now below the 50% threshold.

Obama is now midway through his 11th quarter in office. While his current 40% approval could be a troubling sign for him heading into the 2012 election, previous Gallup analysis has found that incumbent presidents’ ratings in their 12th and 13th quarters are much more indicative of their re-election prospects.