Public Policy Polling has some interesting findings:

Overall 49% of voters express approval of Obama’s work with 46% disapproving. He has the support of 83% of Democrats, 47% of independents, and 10% of Republicans. There’s been little change in his base of support over the last year with liberals, moderates, blacks, Hispanics, and young voters all giving him positive reviews and conservatives, whites, and older voters expressing displeasure with his work.

Hurting Obama’s overall reviews is that for the first time in our polling we find a majority of Americans opposed to his health care plan. 40% say they support it with 52% opposed, including 58% of independents. “This is the first time President Obama’s approval rating has dropped below 50% in our polling,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “It does seem that the health care issue is hurting him some with independents who voted for him last year.”

Meanwhile, over at Gallup, Obama’s disapproval rating ticks up to 44 percent, while at Rasmussen (which tracks likely voters) we find:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 27% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -14. That matches the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for this President. … Overall, 46% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance. Fifty-three percent (53%) now disapprove.

Perhaps it’s health care, Obama’s signature initiative, that’s driving his polling lower. Maybe it’s the bow or the dithering over Afghanistan. Or maybe Americans really don’t like the idea of trying KSM in a civilian courtroom. But what is clear is that they are souring on the president, and if he wants to preserve some political capital, and prevent his party from being dragged under as well, he would do well to stop pretending that he doesn’t hear the American people. In this politically obsessed White House, I think it’s fair to conclude he is kept up to date on the polling; he’s just decided to go right on doing what he wants to do anyway. That’s the sort of thing voters tend to notice.