Zogby: New Poll Will Show Obama’s Approval Now Down To 50 Percent (UPDATED)

Pollster John Zogby is making it known that new poll will show that frustration over the economy will show that President Barack Obama’s popularity has fallen to 50 percent.

This pol was taken before the stock market went up yesterday after the announcement of the new Treasury Department plan to buy up “toxic” bank assets — and in the wake of the bipartisan furor over the big, fat bonuses bailed out AIG doled out under the Obama administration’s watch. So this could be a fleeting story if Obama’s numbers start to rise in this and other new polls that come after the toxic assets policy was unveiled. The Boston Herald American reports:

The honeymoon is over, a national poll will signal today as President Obama’s job approval stumbles to about 50 percent over the lack of improvement with the crippled economy.

The sobering numbers come as the president backpedals from two prime-time gaffes – one comparing his bowling score to a Special Olympian and another awkwardly laughing about the economy, which prompted Steve Kroft of “60 Minutes” to ask “are you punch-drunk?”

That was an interesting “gaffe.”

60 Minutes’ Steve Croft asked that question because it’s part of his journalistic training to ask any questions that he thinks or he thinks the public might ask. In the way 21st century politics now works, it was immediately seized upon by Obama’s critics with same kind of predictability now seen in Obama’s defenders. What it illustrated is that a new kind of Presidential Attitude PC: he must look grave (but then the critics would say he was doom and gloom…or depressed by the job…or couldn’t handle it…or panicking the public…or out of his league). The bowling score comment was a dumb gaffe, while way the Croft “punch drunk” quote was played by some in the new and old media was partisan point making or Presidential Attitude PC advocating.

Pollster John Zogby said his poll out today will show Americans split on the president’s performance. He said the score factors out to “about 50-50.”

Some polls show Obama coasting with a 65 percent job approval, but not in Zogby’s tally.

“The numbers are going down,” Zogby told the Herald. “It’s not because of the gaffes, but a combination of high expectations and that things aren’t moving fast enough with the economy.”

Indeed: (THIS IS UPDATED) Zogby’s poll is Gallup daily tracking poll (updated each day at 1 p.m EST) which has Obama with a 63 approval and 27 percent disapproval — a two point drop in his positives and one point increase in his negatives…but a far cry from Zogby.

Obama holds a press conference at 5 p.m. EST today. Watch for him to perhaps choose his words — and smiles — a bit more carefully.

But if his eyebrow goes up, he frowns, chuckles, tells a joke, doesn’t tell a joke, looks at the teleprompter, looks into the camera too much, says “ah” too much, or doesn’t say “ah” so it MUST be scripted and rehearsed — he better watch out.

For blog reaction from other perspectives GO HERE.

UPDATE: Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight blasts Zogby and his accuracy.