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CNN Poll: Obama Approval Goes Up as Country Optimistic on Economy
Tuesday, April 21, 2015 06:42 AM
By: Jennifer G. Hickey
President Barack Obama's approval rating is rising as more Americans feel optimistic about the economy, according to a CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday.
For the first time since May 2013, more Americans believe Obama is doing a good job (48 percent) than think he is not (47 percent), according to the survey.
Fueling the president's rise in the poll are the positive sentiments Americans have about the current and future state of the economy.
For the first time since Obama assumed office, more Americans (52 percent) rate the economy as very or somewhat good, compared to 48 percent who view it as poor or somewhat poor, reports CNN.
An even greater percentage (60 percent) have confidence the economy will be in positive territory at this time next year, while just 38 percent say the economy will be in worse shape. The tally represents the most positive outlook since the peak of the 2012 election campaign.
The survey also finds the president making gains among young people and liberal Democrats, both critical components of Obama's base.
The president saw his ratings among women rise from 47 percent approval last month to 51 percent in the latest survey, while his disapproval dropped six points, from 49 percent last month to 43 percent.
Among liberals, Obama saw his ratings improve from 90 percent in March to 97 percent, according to the poll.
The CNN/ORC survey echoes the positive feelings toward the economy found in a recent Gallup poll.
According to the Gallup survey released on April 17, the view of Americans about their own finances was at the highest point since 2004.
More than half of those polled (52 percent) believe their financial situation is "getting better," while just one-third of Americans feel their finances are "getting worse."
Gallup analyst Art Swift attributed the positive trend to low gas prices, which is putting more money into American consumers' pockets.
"Americans are also more positive about the national economy — Gallup's Economic Confidence Index has been generally higher in 2015 than last year — reaching positive territory for the first time in years.
"The economy has been creating more jobs than in previous years as well, with unemployment at 5.5 percent, nearly half of what it was five years ago," said Swift.
