Jobs Loom over Obama Speech

Obama looks abroad as risks grow

With the nation's unemployment rate stuck stubbornly close to double digits, a stronger economy remains the key issue in the looming midterm elections. Fewer than one in five Americans consider the economy to be in good shape, according to a September 1-2 CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll. Eighty-one percent characterize economic conditions as poor.

Roughly half of all Americans believe the economy is as bad or worse than it was two years ago, when Obama was running for president.

Nearly 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the administration's handling of the economy.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Adding to Obama's woes: turmoil with his economic team. The White House announced Tuesday that Larry Summers, the president's top economic adviser, will return to academia at the end of the year.

The announcement followed July's departure of Budget Director Peter Orszag and the exit this month of former Council of Economic Advisers chief Christina Romer.

And while some analysts may give Obama credit for winding down the Iraq war or launching a new round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks -- both issues tied to the broader struggle against terrorism -- there's scant evidence voters are impressed.