Obama Support Plunges in Liberal California

President Barack Obama's popularity has plunged in Democrat-dominated California, a poll reported Wednesday, giving the US leader another gloomy bulletin to digest following a stunning Republican upset in a Massachusetts Senate election.

The Field Poll of 1,232 registered voters in California found that Obama's overall approval rating had fallen from 65 percent last March to 56 percent, with 34 percent disapproving of his performance.

On specific issues, a majority of Californians now disapprove of Obama's handling of the US economy. Only 44 percent approved, down from 61 percent in March last year, the survey showed.

A majority also gave a thumbs down to Obama's performance on the issue of health care reform, his top domestic priority, with 53 percent disapproving and 39 percent approving.

The Field Poll attributed the decline in Obama's popularity in California to sharp falls in his approval ratings amongst Democrats and non-partisans.

Since March, Obama's approval ratings amongst Democrats had dipped from 87 percent to 77 percent.

The poll findings come after Republican Scott Brown pulled off a shock victory in Tuesday's Massachusetts vote, capturing the late Democratic icon Edward Kennedy's seat in a stern rebuke of Obama exactly a year after he took office.