It's been kind of a bad day for Democrats who awakened to the news that their party had lost the special election in the bellwether state of Florida and that President Obama's poll numbers have taken another tumble.

According to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, the president's job approval fell to 41 percent in March from 43 percent in January. And, at 54 percent, a majority of the public disapproves of his performance.

That doesn't bode well for Democrats in a mid-term election year when turnout traditionally is low and more seats are in play since several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have announced plans to retire in recent months.

It could mean that the president may do more harm than good if he endorses a politician or appears on the campaign trail. Forty-eight percent of voters said they're less likely to vote for a candidate who supports the White House and 33 percent said their vote will be a signal of their opposition to Obama.

The poll also found that support for the president among African-Americans, Latinos and women is softening.

Still, Republicans should not count their votes before they're cast. In 2006, when Republicans lost control of both the Senate and the House, President George W. Bush's job approval rating was 37 percent.

In addition, a majority of voters said they would vote to defeat their representatives and would like to replace every incumbent if the opportunity were to arise.

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(Photo: Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images)