President Obama appears to be gaining in popularity.
A Gallup poll from May 7-9 shows that 66 percent of citizens approve his job performance, up from an average of 63 percent during his first three months in office.
A weak economy and setbacks in Afghanistan and Iraq don’t seem to have turned the public against Obama.
A whopping 92 percent of Democrats approve of his work and 66 percent of independents. But only 30 percent of Republicans like what the president is doing.
Obama's approval rating has totaled at least 66 percent in each Gallup three-day average since May 2. His 68 percent approval rating on May 3 matches the second highest of his tenure, topped only by the 69 percent record hit just after his inauguration.
As you might expect, job approval ratings are closely tied to election performance.
A 66 percent approval rating in the first half of 2012 would almost guarantee a victory for Obama, according to Gallup.
In a late April Gallup poll, 53 percent of Americans said they will definitely or probably vote for Obama’s reelection, and 37 percent said they definitely or probably wouldn’t.
Republicans may be encouraged by the fact that only 25 percent of citizens said they will definitely vote for the president, matched equally by the number who said they definitely won’t vote for him.
A Pew Research Center study shows that Obama’s job approval rating for his first 100 days beats out both Bush’s and Clinton. But he is behind Ronald Reagan and shockingly tied with Jimmy Carter.
Pew reports that 63 percent of Americans approve of Obama’s work. That compares to 56 percent for George W. Bush after his first 100 days, 55 percent for Clinton, 58 percent for George H.W. Bush, 67 percent for Reagan and 63 percent for Carter.
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