White House dismisses new low in Obama approval ratings

A White House spokesman dismissed polling that shows President Barack Obama's approval rating at a new low.

A Gallup poll released Monday showed that Obama’s overall approval rating dropped to 47 percent — the lowest during his presidency.

On Tuesday morning, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs compared the poll to a child's artwork.

Gibbs was specifically referring to the trend line, which shows Obama's approval ratings declining. Gibbs noted "a 6-year-old with a crayon could do something a lot like that."

The president's approval ratings have declined throughout the year as debates over healthcare reform and Afghanistan have started to take their toll on Obama's popularity.

Gallup noted that for December, the president has averaged a 50 percent approval rating after getting a slight, but short-lived, boost from announcing his Afghanistan policy last week.

"That is similar to the December averages for Ronald Reagan (49 percent) and Bill Clinton (53 percent), who also took office when the economy was struggling," according to Gallup's analysis. "All other recent presidents elected to their first terms had approval averages of 57 percent or above in their first December in office."

But Gibbs said polls are fickle, and he does not put much thought into them.

"I don't put a lot of stake in it — never have," Gibbs said.

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