Gallup: George W. Bush Job Approval Nudges Past Obama's

Things weren’t looking too good for President George W. Bush when he left office last year. They’re looking a whole lot better now, according to a new Gallup poll, Politico reports. The survey shows 47 percent of Americans approve of Bush’s presidency, up from 34 percent when he left office and from his November 2008 low of 25 percent. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama’s approval rating has slumped to 46 percent.

This was the first time Gallup had asked Americans for a hindsight rating on Bush’s job performance, Politico says. And his showing lends credence to his own claim that history will look upon him more kindly than polls since he took office, it notes.

Bush’s 47 percent rating is the highest he has enjoyed since before Hurricane Katrina in 2005. But his 51 percent disapproval rating still makes him one of only two presidents in the past 50 years whose disapproval rating exceeds their approval rating. The other is Richard Nixon.

The Nov. 19-21 poll found that John F. Kennedy remains the most popular modern president, with 85 percent approving of his performance. Ronald Reagan registered 74 percent and Bill Clinton, 69 percent, up from 61 percent in 2006.