Thank Heaven for a nasty presidential race between two candidates America seems to distrust and dislike.
Because that has helped push President Obama’s approval rating to its highest in his second term.
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What’s more, at 52 percent in the latest Gallup and Rasmussen Reports surveys, Obama is higher than he has been for virtually his whole presidency.
“Since his first year in office, Obama’s job approval ratings have mostly been below the majority level,” said Gallup Friday. “The upward momentum in Obama’s approval ratings is continuing, as he has averaged 54 percent job approval so far in October,” Gallup added.
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll put Obama’s approval at 52 percent, with 46 percent who disapprove. “This is the president’s highest Approval Index rating since mid-February 2013,” said the pollster.
Other pollsters have noted that Obama has benefited from the nasty presidential race and a wish by some voters for a return to the more civil tone of the president’s two elections.
Obama still has a ways to go to be as popular as former President Bill Clinton.
Said Gallup:
Of the six presidents who served 31 quarters in office, Obama is the fourth to have majority approval at that point in his presidency. Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Clinton were considerably more popular, with approval ratings near 60%. Harry Truman and George W. Bush were much less popular, with approval ratings near 30%. Ronald Reagan’s 53.5% job approval during his 31st quarter in office is the closest to Obama’s.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
