President Barack Obama’s approval rating has fallen by six percent among American business owners, according to Gallup.
Polls conducted between April 1st and July 30th found that 35 percent of business owners say that they approve of the President, down from 41 percent in polls conducted between January and March.
59 percent of business owners currently say that they disapprove of the President, the highest level among any profession.
While the survey was conducted over several months, a statement the President made at a campaign stop earlier this month has put his standing with business owners on the forefront.
Appearing in Roanoke, Virginia, the President attempted to highlight that private industry benefits from government involvement. In the course of his remarks, the President stated “If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”
Earlier in the speech the President said “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help… somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges.”
The Romney campaign latched on to the comment and has made it a central point in much of their rhetoric. In a frills-free television ad showing Obama speaking directly into the camera, Obama charged that the remark was a taken out of context.
“‘Of course Americans build their own businesses,” Obama said. “What I said was that we need to stand behind them, as America always has.”
The Gallup poll was conducted via telephone among 25,464 employed adults.
