Politics | opinion polls Poll: Grouchy Public Sticks With Obama Glum nation pessimistic about economy, wars By Jane Yager Posted Nov 11, 2009 4:49 AM CST Copied President Barack Obama speaks at a memorial service in Fort Hood, Texas on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 for the victims of Thursday's shootings. (AP Photo/Pool, Jay Janner) America's mood has crashed hard after the euphoria that greeted Barack Obama's inauguration: A recent poll shows the country in a pessimistic funk as the president struggles to revive the economy and fight two wars abroad. But Americans haven't lost all faith in Obama: His approval stands at 54%, no change from October, according to the AP-Gfk poll. The country is "in pretty bad shape," said one Dem who voted for Obama and still believes he can "make things happen" but worries about the president's ability to "handle everything at once." On both the economy and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, major sources of malaise, Obama's approval slipped from last month—but he's still polling much better than Congress, which has the approval of only a third of the country. Read These Next Tax season may actually bring good news for many this year. Angie Harmon reconnects with beau from when she was 18. Figure skating coach shot dead in Starbucks drive-thru. The Louvre's latest embarrassment: a $12 million fraud. Report an error