Q: Who Is a Boat Anchor For Democratic Electoral Prospects? A: President Obama

Or maybe he's more of an albatross.

It's been obvious for a while now that President Obama was going to be a net negative for Democrats trying to hold onto control of the Senate on Nov. 4.  But, just how big a drag he actually is has come into focus over the last few days—thanks to a slew of polling in some of the most hotly contested races in the country.

Let's start in Kentucky—where polls by NBC-Marist and CNN-Opinion Research Corporation have been released in the last few days.  Both show Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell leading Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes by between four and eight points.  In the NBC poll, 31 percent of voters approve of Obama while 62 percent disapprove. The CNN poll paints an even grimmer picture for Democrats; 29 percent approve of Obama, 64 percent disapprove.