On the surface George W. Bush and Barack Obama seem like two very different politicians with very different views on the way they regard the world. However, the two former presidents have something in common. Surprisingly, the two former POTUS are gaining great popularity. It seems that Trumps rise to the highest office in the country ignited an explosion of popularity for Bush and Obama. Their favor-ability ratings are higher than ever, since their retirement. The massive jump in approval ratings in opinion polls might be due to misgivings about the current president, Donald Trump. Here is more on the subject.
According to recent polls, Trump is holding steady at a 40 percent approval rating. The approval rating is based on the public view of Trumps presidency. They track, if the public is really satisfied with the way that Trump is handling his job. The fact is that former presidents Bush and Obama approval ratings are higher and their popularity is higher than Trumps too. In fact, 6 out of 10 adults view the former presidents in a more favorable light than Trump. It appears that the two former heads of states popularity, just keeps continuing to soar, after their retirement from office. Obama’s approval rating rose in all demographics. However, it is important to note that Bush’s approval among young adults is still low.
If you take a hard look at the approval ratings and compare them to a few years ago, you’d probably assume that Trump’s presidency produced a positive effect on the former president’s approval rating. Here’s where they differ.
Obama’s popularity cuts across all demographics. His approval rating rose with men, women, whites, non whites, and every age. However, his popularity remained low among Republicans, which is not that surprising. Bush’s approval rating win in the Republican arena.
The fact is that many of the former presidents held high approval ratings all through their term in office. For example, Clinton and Reagan held high approval ratings, even through a few controversies. It is also interesting to note that after retirement, former presidents tend to experience a rise in their approval ratings. On the other hand, Trump is a candidate that was historically disliked by many Republicans and Democrats. Thus, a lower Trump approval rating should not seem surprising.
Certainty, the approval ratings will dramatically affect the way that future historians evaluate the influence that the former heads of state had on the American public.