Obama Approval Rating Tops Reagan’s At Same Point In Presidencies

As Americans pull into the final stretch of a presidential election that pits the two most unpopular candidates in modern history against each other, the approval rating for the president continues to soar. In fact, a new survey shows that a record high of American believe things are going well in the country.

According to a CNN/ORC poll, 54 percent of Americans view events in the nation positively – the highest level since the poll began in January 2007. Furthermore, the poll numbers show a complete flip of opinions since late July, when 54 percent of the country viewed national events negatively.

As for Obama’s own approval rating, the president now outscores Ronald Reagan’s 51 percent approval rating from the same point in 1988. Obama’s 55 percent approval rating nearly matches Bill Clinton 57 percent approval from October 2000.

Obama’s favorability among Americans has caused him to lend a hand in potential successor Hillary Clinton’s campaign for presidency.

Seven in 10 Americans believe that a Hillary Clinton presidency would largely continue President Obama’s policies.

“Obama’s vigorous campaigning for Hillary Clinton is a new dimension of the modern presidency,” Robert Schmuhl, professor of American studies and journalism at the University of Notre Dame, said, reports the Los Angeles Times. “What Obama is doing this fall makes him stand out from his predecessors in a vivid and distinctive way. He’s using his approval ratings and campaign skills to create what he hopes will be a new kind of coattails.”

“My name may not be on the ballot, but our progress is on the ballot,” the president told a September meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus, reports RealClearPolitics. “And after we have achieved historic turnout in 2008 and 2012, especially in the African-American community, I will consider it a personal insult, an insult to my legacy, if this community lets down it’s guard and fails to activate itself in this election. You want to give me a good send off? Go vote!”

Sources: CNN, Los Angeles Times, RealClearPolitics / Photo Credit: Hillary Clinton/Instagram