As the U.S. economy continues to sputter, President Barack Obama has been getting out of Washington, D.C. and talking to voters directly.

Obama has been working to convince them that his policies to get the economy moving are working.

However, most Americans aren't buying his arguments.

With his sleeves rolled up, standing in the back yard of a middle class home in the key swing state of Ohio on Wednesday, President Obama looked more like "candidate Obama" as he worked to convince people that the economy is slowly getting better thanks to his leadership.

He told the crowd gathered in lawn chairs, that like a bad cold, recovery takes time.

"You get a little stronger every day and you take a few more steps each day," he said. "And that's where our economy's at right now."

But for many Americans, reality has them doubting the president's wisdom.

Unemployment remains stagnant at 9.5 percent. And an increasing number of Americans are unable to make payments on their homes.

Home foreclosures have increased across the country with 93,000 homes foreclosed in July alone. An overwhelming majority of Americans now describe the nation's financial outlook as poor.

In a new Associated Press poll, just 41 percent of those surveyed approve of the president's performance on the economy, while 56 percent disapprove.

Sixty-one percent said the economy has gotten worse or stayed the same under Obama's leadership.

Some Americans who voted for the president are now saying they won't do so again. But the president and Democrats facing re-election in Congress will continue to ask voters for patience.

"Basically it's the only message that Democrats have," said ABC News political director Amy Walker. "Things were bad, but we're on the track. Trust me, it's going to get better."

Time is running out for the Democrats to convince voters that's the case. The midterm elections are 11 weeks away.

According to the AP poll, more voters have said they would vote for the Republican candidate in their congressional districts rather than the Democratic candidate.