Poll: Obama standing remains steady amid controversies

The recent disputes involving the IRS, last year's deadly Benghazi attack and the Justice Department's media probes have raised doubts about the Obama administration’s honesty and integrity among majorities of Americans, a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds.

President Barack Obama’s support among independents has been eroded by the controversies, but his overall standing with the public hasn't taken a hit. His job-approval rating remains steady at 48 percent, essentially unchanged from the last NBC/WSJ poll in April.

One of the chief reasons for that consistent rating: Most Americans don’t hold him primarily responsible for the controversies, according to the poll.


“The problem has come to the administration. Where it has not landed is the Oval Office,” said Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff.

“The benefit of the doubt is with the president,” Hart added.

McInturff concludes that the trio of controversies hasn’t reframed the political environment.

http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/04/18755763-poll-obama-standing-remains-steady-amid-controversies?lite