As he approaches the 100-day mark of his presidency, Barack Obama’s job approval ratings are higher than those of his most recent predecessors. However, the 44th president is even more distinguished by his strong personal popularity. Fully 73% of Americans – including as many as 46% of Republicans – hold a favorable view of Obama as a person. Fewer people held favorable impressions of George W. Bush (61%) and Bill Clinton (60%) early in their first years.

Obama’s job approval stands at 63%, while 26% disapprove of the way he is handling his job as president. His approval rating is up slightly from March (59%). Opinions about Obama’s performance remain highly partisan. Fully 93% of Democrats approve of the way Obama is handling his job as president, compared with just 30% of Republicans. Independents’ opinions fall in between, with 58% expressing positive views of his performance and 27% negative opinions.
Pew Research previously found a greater partisan gap in Obama’s early job approval ratings than in the ratings of past presidents. (See “Partisan Gap in Obama Job Approval Widest in Modern Era,” Commentary, April 2, 2009.) That continues to be the case. Obama’s approval rating among Republicans (30%) is about the same as Bill Clinton’s at a comparable point in his first year (25%), but Democratic approval – particularly strong approval – is much higher than it was for Clinton. Fully 79% of Democrats very strongly approve of Obama’s job performance; only about half as many Democrats (39%) expressed very strong approval for Clinton at this stage in 1993. Obama’s highly positive ratings from members of his own party also surpass Bush’s 71% very strong approval among Republicans in April 2001.
The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted April 14-21 among 1,507 adults interviewed in English and Spanish on landlines and cell phones, finds that Obama’s job ratings on several specific domestic issues are on balance positive, but also reflect the division of opinion about many of his policies. For example, 60% approve of his handling of the economy generally, while 33% disapprove. Fewer (50%) approve of his handling of the budget deficit, compared with 39% who disapprove.
Obama gets better ratings on foreign policy and terrorism – issues on which he trailed John McCain during last year’s presidential campaign – than on health care, tax policy or the budget deficit. The balance of opinion regarding Obama’s performance on foreign policy and terrorism is largely unchanged since February.
In conducting foreign policy, most Americans think Obama is striking the right balance in pushing American interests (57%) and in taking into account the interests and views of U.S. allies (56%). Fewer than a third (31%) believe that Obama is not pushing U.S. interests hard enough, and even fewer (19%) say he takes interests of allies too much into account. The public also is rendering a somewhat more positive view of Obama’s decision to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo than it did a few months ago; by 51% to 38%, more now approve of the decision to shut down Guantanamo. In February, the margin was narrower (46% to 39%).
In addition, the public broadly supports President Obama’s decision to permit federal funding for most embryonic stem cell research. More than six-in-ten (63%) approve of Obama’s stem cell research policy while 27% are opposed. Among religious groups, majorities of white mainline Protestants (66%) and white non-Hispanic Catholics (62%) approve of the policy. A narrow majority of white evangelical Protestants (52%) disapprove of Obama’s decision to fund most stem cell research.
The survey finds that about half of Americans (53%) say Obama’s economic policies have not had an effect so far, or that it is too early to tell, while 26% say his policies have made economic conditions better – up from 14% in March. The proportion saying his policies have made things worse is little changed; 17% say that now, compared with 15% in February.
Most Americans continue to reject the criticism that Obama is trying to tackle too many issues. Slightly more than a third (34%) say he is trying to address too many issues, while 56% believe he is handling things about right; this is largely unchanged from March. And by greater than two-to-one (63% to 27%), more believe that Obama “has a new approach to politics in Washington” than say his approach is “business as usual.” This was also the case in February (66% new approach, 25% business as usual).
The survey finds that Michelle Obama’s personal favorability ratings have increased since just before her husband’s inauguration in January. More than three-quarters of Americans (76%) say they have a favorable opinion of the first lady, up from 68% in January. Much of the change has come among Republicans, especially Republican women. About two-thirds of Republican women (67%) have a favorable impression of Michelle Obama, a gain of 21 points since January.
(Source: Pew Research Center)