Gallup: Obama rating to drop below 50

President Barack Obama's approval rating will dip below 50 percent Friday in Gallup's daily tracking poll for the first time since he took office in January.

The organization updates its numbers at 1 p.m. EST, but it put out advance word Friday morning that Obama will dip below the halfway mark.

Obama's current rating stands at exactly 50 percent, so assuming he drops to only 48 or 49 percent, the dip would be more symbolic than statistically significant. Nevertheless, it will be a stark reminder that Obama's political cachet isn't what it once was.

We'll update with the actual numbers when they're released.

UPDATE, 1:30 p.m.: Gallup's official number is 49 percent approval for Obama.