The Hill News

Poll numbers continue to paint a troubling outlook for President Obama, with a recent Field Poll showing the president dipping below 50 percent approval in California for the first time.

According to the poll, 46 percent of Californians approve of the president's job performance, versus 44 percent who disapprove â€" a dramatic fall from three months ago, when the poll's margin was 54 percent to 37 percent approval-disapproval. Less than half (49 percent) of California voters think the president should be reelected, while 44 percent think he should not be.

Particularly troubling for Obama might be a fall from favor with party loyalists â€" his support among California Democrats has eroded 10 percentage points since June. African-Americans are 12 percent less likely to support the president.

As with other polls, it appears that Californians are primarily dissatisfied with the president's economic performance. The state is second in the nati! on in unemployment, and respondents generally blamed the shaky economy for their dissatisfaction.

54 percent of Californians disapprove of Obama's handling of the economy, while only 40 percent approve. A year ago, those numbers were essentially even. Today, more than two-thirds of those in California believe that the country is on the "wrong tack."

Obama's eroding support in even solidly Democratic states shows the weight the lagging economy could place on his reelection efforts in 2012.