Obama's National Security Positives Fall Slightly From Last Week's High

Voter ratings for President Obama’s handling of national security issues have dipped from last week's high following the killing of Osama bin Laden, but the president’s grades on economic issues remain weak.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 48% rate Obama’s performance in the national security area as good or excellent, down slightly from last week's 53%. Twenty-five percent (25%) give the president a poor grade on national security, up from 21% just after the bin Laden killing. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

Still, with the exception of last week’s findings, the president’s national security numbers are at their highest level since May 2009. Positive marks for Obama’s performance on national security fell to a low of 37% in late March. Over the past year, those marks have mostly stayed in the high 30s to mid-40s. His poor marks hovered in the 30s and 40s during the same period.

But only 34% give Obama good or excellent marks for his handling of economic issues, down two points from last week. A plurality (45%) says the president is doing a poor job on the economy.

Obama’s positive ratings on the economy fell to 31% in mid-March, the lowest point since he took office. The president’s highest poor rating of 50% was last measured in October 2010.