N.C. residents give Obama high marks in poll

Elon, N.C. — President Barack Obama has a 61 percent approval rating among North Carolina residents, who support his efforts to revive the economy and end the war in Iraq, according to a poll released Friday.

The Elon University Poll surveyed 620 adults statewide Monday through Thursday and found that the majority of people also think the North Carolina General Assembly is doing a good job. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

About 58 percent of those surveyed said they approved of Obama's handling of the nation's economic crisis, while 29 percent disapproved. More than 70 percent of respondents ranked the economy and unemployment as the most pressing issue facing the state.

Thirty-nine percent of respondents said they believe the country is headed in the right direction, while 53 percent said the U.S. has gone off on the wrong track.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed support Obama's handling of the Iraq war, and about 69 percent agree with his decision to withdraw most U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of August 2010. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they don't think the war in Iraq was worth the fight.

Regarding the General Assembly, 56 percent of those surveyed said they thought lawmakers are doing a good job, and people gave slightly higher approval ratings for their individual representative or senator.

Democrats received higher approval ratings in the poll that Republicans, 53 percent to 41 percent. The leadership in both the House and Senate had a 50 percent approval rating.