Obama Losing Indepedents Fast - Shorter Coat Tails during Election Time

President Barack Obama is being greeted warmly in China, but back in the U.S. his overall approval rating has slipped to 53 percent, according to a new CBS News poll.

Approval for Mr. Obama's handling of the situation in Afghanistan has dropped as well as more Americans now disapprove than approve.

However, a majority of Americans still approve of the way Mr. Obama is handling his job as president, but this percentage is down three points. Fifty-three percent of Americans approve of how he's handling his job, down from 56 percent last month.

The president's approval rating has dropped seven points among independents. Forty-five percent of independents now approve of how the president is handling his job. Last month, a majority of 52 percent approved.

Assessments of how Mr. Obama is handling the war in Afghanistan have become more negative since early October. Thirty-eight percent now approve of how President Obama is handling the war - but even more, 43 percent, disapprove. Disapproval has risen nine points, from 34 percent last month. Again, most of the change has occurred among independents. Last month, 44 percent of independents approved and 36 percent disapproved of the job Mr. Obama was doing on Afghanistan. Now, more independents disapprove than approve: 49 percent disapprove, and just 30 percent approve.

Answers to this question also predictably fall along partisan lines. Just 23 percent of Republicans approve of the job Mr. Obama was doing on Afghanistan, compared to 57 percent of Democrats. Sixty percent of Republicans disapprove, compared to 24 percent of Democrats.

As for how Americans feel about the way Mr. Obama is handling foreign policy overall, the poll finds that 50 percent approve - not much different from last month. But disapproval of his handling of foreign policy has risen as well - from 28 percent last month to 36 percent now. - CBS News Story