Just a third of Americans approve of how President Barack Obama is handling the tense—and potentially volatile—nuclear situation in Iran, according to a new poll conducted by Gallup.
Released Thursday, the poll asks Americans to rate Obama on eight different and especially pertinent policy issues. Unsurprisingly, Iran made it on the list of issues, and while Obama does not receive the highest disapproval rating, he does receive the lowest approval rating at only 33 percent. The disapproval rate is 55 percent, slightly over a majority, a figure tied with the issues of terrorism and foreign affairs.
The results predictably fall along partisan lines. A total of 56 percent of Democrats surveyed support how Obama is taking care of the situation, while only 10 percent of Republicans agree with that sentiment.
But some Democrats are slowly drifting away from party consensus, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, who has recently ignited a firestorm of controversy over his public decision not to support the deal. Fareed Zakaria wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post urging Schumer to reconsider his position. Although the deal is flawed, Zakaria argued, “it is the most intrusive, demanding and comprehensive set of inspections, verification protocols and snapback measures ever negotiated.”
Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings jumped on the opposition bandwagon Thursday, pledging first that he would vote against the nuclear deal, and second that he intends to forward an authorization for war with Iran, which will appear in the House Sept. 8 when recess is over.
Congress may soon be able to muster a two-thirds majority to finish off the nuclear deal.
Other Democrats think that the deal is a step in the right direction. Democratic Rep. Sam Farr of California said in a statement Thursday that “After two decades in Congress, this is the first time I will be able to vote for peace, not just against war.”
Military action is still on the table in case the United States and Iran fail to reach an agreement.
Gallup conducted the poll from Aug. 5-9 over telephone, surveying U.S. adults over 18-years-old across the entire U.S. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
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