“Obama Now at 50% Job Approval; Leads Romney, 49% to 42%,” is Gallup’s top story today, which this additional note: “Independents’ vote preferences have shifted toward Obama.”
And indeed, it’s true.
Noting “In recent days, Americans have become more positive about the job Obama is doing as president, and at the same time now prefer him by a significant margin over his likely opponent in the fall election,” Gallup reports:
Barack Obama’s job approval rating has increased in recent days and now stands at 50% in Gallup Daily tracking for April 21-23.
The 50% approval mark is notable because all incumbent presidents since Eisenhower who were at or above 50% approval at the time of the election were re-elected. Obama’s job approval rating has typically been in the mid-40% range for the last three months.
Obama reached 50% briefly earlier this month, but that soon dissipated, perhaps due to mixed news in the government’s April 6 unemployment report after largely positive reports in the prior two months. In recent days, Obama appears to be more solidly around 50%, averaging at least 49% approval in each of the last four individual nights of Gallup polling.
One possible reason for Obama’s recent rise is the decline in gas prices, which some analysts believe could indicate that prices have peaked. Rising gas prices have often been associated with a decline in presidential approval ratings.
Obama’s increased approval coincides with his taking a lead, 49% to 42%, over Mitt Romney in Gallup Daily tracking of registered voters’ 2012 presidential election preferences. That marks a shift from last week, when Romney held an edge in Gallup tracking.
The seven-percentage-point Obama advantage in April 19-23 Gallup Daily tracking, based on interviews with more than 2,100 registered voters, also represents the largest lead Obama has held over Romney in Gallup polling on 2012 election preferences, dating back to last August.
Of course, amusingly, the hyper-partisan Rasmussen poll today claims:
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that Mitt Romney earns 48% of the vote, while President Obama attracts support from 44%. Four percent (4%) would vote for a third party candidate, while another 4% are undecided.