President Obama

Approval of the overall job President Obama is doing was running at 66% at the end of March in the WP/ABC survey, and 66% in the early April NYT/CBS survey. It was at 60% in the NBC/WSJ survey at the end of February.

At the end of March, 60% approved of the job Obama is doing on the economy, up a bit from the 56% approval in the NBC/WSJ survey. It is 56% in the April NYT/CBS.

A late March Gallup poll shows 61% approving Obama's foreign policy efforts, along with 59% having the same view in the early April NYT/CBS poll.

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Obama's job performance approval among Democrats is 61% points higher than among Republicans - 88% to 27%. This is the greatest partisan spread experienced by any President, starting with Richard Nixon, at this time in their tenure.

Obama 61% - Bush II 51% - Clinton 45% - Bush I 38% - Reagan 46% - Carter 25% - Nixon 29%. [Pew 4/2/09]

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As favorably as Obama is rated (69% have that view), his popularity is eclipsed by Michelle Obama, who clocks a 72% favorable rating. [Gallup 3/09]

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There are about 3,000 political appointees in the Federal Government. That is to say, they are appointed by the President or by others that the President has appointed. 616 of these people are subject to Senate confirmation.

Although there has been a glitch or two, the Obama administration is ahead of the 4 most recent Presidential Administrations in the number of people who have been nominated to fill Government positions that are subject to Senate confirmation.

Here is the tell of the tape as of March 31st:



* President Bush II was late in starting his transition as a result of the post-election day lawsuit challenging his victory in Florida.

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