President Obama's Approval Numbers Rise To 62%

In the latest Gallup tracking poll on the public approval of President Obama's job performance, his approval numbers have ticked up slightly to 62% approval vs. 31% disapproval. These are improved public approval numbers than the low of 57% he had some days ago in the wake of news about the GM auto bailout which was controversial with many Americans.

Despite some serious new national unemployment news, such as the bad news that sent stocks down more than 200 points, yesterday, President Obama is proving himself to be a very popular president who inspires confidence and trust.

While it appears that the economy is struggling, and bad news abounds, despite serious actions by the Obama Administration to stabilize things that seem to be having only a minimal effect so far, the public seems to still have deep trust in the president and feel that he cares about them. Scenes such as the one where he comforts a woman who has a recently discovered tumor and other acts of kindness, prove he is far more than just a stiff intellectual, but a very decent man filled with much compassion for others. All of this translates into broad public appeal and support, despite the fact that many of his policies remain controversial or that the economy remains stalled with very serious problems.

Some areas where the Obama Administration has seen great early success is in military efforts in both Pakistan and Afghanistan where the Taliban and Al Qaeda have suffered serious military losses in past few weeks, and a huge new offensive by 4,000 Marines in Afghanistan is having great success. At home, while the bailout plans to rescue both GM and Chrysler remain very controversial, both companies seem to have survived the recession thanks to the bailout plans, and remain in business, providing many jobs. Stimulus Bill spending is starting a large number of construction and highway projects around the nation.

In the long run, it will certainly be results that dictate whether the Democrats do well in the 2010 midterm elections or whether President Obama is re-elected. And performance on the stubborn economy remains a very difficult issue for the Obama White House to deal with. And likely, performance on the economy may remain as the number issue deciding on the ultimate success or failure of the Democrats and President Obama.