MOSCOW, September 9 (RIA Novosti) - A new online poll conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News reveals that the majority of Americans categorize United States President Barack Obama’s tenure a “failure,” the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
The poll surveying both Democrats and Republicans, found that 52 percent of participants believed President Obama’s presidency was a “failure” compared to 42 percent who labelled his leadership a “success.”
The poll blamed Obama’s low ratings on his handling of international affairs and immigration, with the public claiming the president was too cautious on international issues.
The Washington Post admits the survey question is binary and offers only “failure” or “success” as descriptors of Obama’s presidency, thus differing from specific American opinions.
The newspaper also noted that wording was influential, stating should the question have been "failure or not" rather than "failure or success," fewer individuals would choose “failure.”
Though the findings are close to Obama’s official overall approval ratings, a record low of 42 percent in September, the survey noted some 12 percent of Americans who approved of the president called him a failure while 8 percent opposed to Obama called his presidency a success.
