Just 39% of Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling the economy, according to a new Gallup poll out in advance of the State of the Union speech tonight. Also, just 31% approve of his handling of the deficit. The only issue the president scores a majority of approval is national defense. President Obama earns a 39% job approval rating for his handling of the economy, similar to his ratings on the issue one year ago. Among domestic issues, Obama's rating on the economy is above only his 31% rating for handling the federal deficit. Across nine issues, Americans give Obama his highest approval ratings for handling national defense (53%), followed by foreign affairs and immigration, each at 46%. If President Obama focuses on the economy in his fourth State of the Union address Tuesday night, as news reports indicate he will do, he will be dealing with an area in which the American public gives him relatively low performance ratings. The president's 39% rating...(Read Full Post)