Obama's Approval Rating Collapses After A Post-Election Honeymoon

President Barack Obama saw a sharp two-month in his approval rating, a new poll from Quinnipiac University shows.

The new poll found that just 46 percent of respondents approve of Obama's job performance, while 45 percent disapprove. That's a steep decline from a December poll that showed a post-election bounce, as 53 percent approved of Obama and just 40 percent disapproved. Overall, it's a 12-point swing in a matter of two months.

After winning re-election, Obama had earned some of his highest approval ratings in years. The December Quinnipiac poll, for example, was his highest mark in three years. With the election now firmly in hindsight, it looks as if some of his bounce is starting to fade.

Quinnipiac's poll gives Obama a lower approval rating than many other polls, however. The latest Gallup three-day average of polling on Obama's approval rating found that 52 percent of adults approved of Obama, compared with 41 percent who disapproved.

Between December and February, Obama has lost a significant amount of support from Independents, who now disapprove overall in the Quinnipiac survey. In December, Independents approved by a 51-41 split. Now, they disapprove by a 47-40 split — an incredible 17-point change.

The poll spreads out the bad news across party lines — only 19 percent of voters, including only 41 percent of Republicans, approve of the way Republicans in Congress are handling their jobs.