Obama’s Full-Month Rating Increases Four Points in May
When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.
In May, the number who Strongly Approve of Obama’s job performance increased two points to 25%. Since October 2009, that finding has ranged from a low of 23%, reached last month, to a high of 30%. By comparison, 43% Strongly Approved of the president's performance in January 2009, the month he took office.
The number of voters who Strongly Disapprove of the president’s performance fell two points to 36% in May, the lowest level measured in nearly two years. Prior to last month, the number of voters who Strongly Disapproved ranged from 37% to 44% since July 2009.
Accordingly, the new findings generate a full-month Presidential Approval Index rating of -11. That’s up four points from April and the highest the index has been since January. The president’s approval index rating stayed between -14 and -17 for most of last year.
The full-month numbers show Strong Approval from 49% of Democrats in May, up five points from the month before. Sixty-five percent (65%) of Republicans Strongly Disapprove of the job the president is doing, down five points from April. Among voters not affiliated with either party, 19% Strongly Approve and 34% Strongly Disapprove of Obama's job performance.
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