According to CNN, their latest poll has George W. Bush’s approval rating improving. For the first time in a decade, more Americans are saying they actually like him then dislike him.
Per the poll, 52% of adults had a favorable impression of Bush whereas 43% had an unfavorable impression. When he left office in 2009 only one third of Americans said they had a positive opinion of him.This poll is significant because since he left office his ratings have remained below 50% favorability.
What has caused his raise in the polls? His ranking with men has increased 11 points, Republicans 10 points, those with household incomes under $50,000 10 points, young adults 9 points and suburbanites 8 points.
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He still remains very unpopular with the expected groups. They include: democrats, liberals, non-whites and those under 35.
The reason for the shift is because the longer a former president is out of office the warmer the country feels towards them. It might also be because people forget why they didn’t like him in the first place over time. The same thing happened with his father and with Jimmy Carter. Right after Jimmy Carter lost the 1980 election polls found that only 39% of the voters have a favorable view of him. Today, a majority of voters view him as a good president. In regards to Bush’s father, when he lost the race in 1992 to Bill Clinton, 47% of voters had a favorable opinion of him. Now he is viewed very favorable amongst almost two-thirds of Americans.
The latest poll also shows the blame of the current problems in Iraq are shifting. Now more people think it is Obama’s fault then Bush’s.
