victor. it is traditionally the biggest speech a president gives each year. >> we have cleared away the rubble of crisis. and we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger. >> reporter: as president obama gets ready to give a prime time address in front of congress and the nation, when it comes to his poll numbers there's not so much to brag about. >> that i will fatefully execute -- >> the office of the president of the united states. >> reporter: at his second inaugural a year ago, mr. obama's approval ratings stood mostly in the low to mid 50s. but after the nsa and irs controversies, and the deeply flawed rollout of the health care law, the president's numbers tumbled. according to a new cnn poll of polls, which averages the most recent national surveys, mr. obama's approval rating stands at 43% with 50% giving his performance a thumbs down. the president's approval rating has slightly rebounded from late last year when it was at or near