President Obama’s standing in the eyes of the American people has recovered after a three-year slump — and that’s good news for Hillary Clinton. Obama’s job approval rating — the percentage of voters who say he’s doing a decent job — has reached an average of about 50% over the last two months. …
A popular president, even one on the way out, is naturally a bigger asset to his party than an unpopular one. Alan Abramowitz of Emory University has found that when a two-term president leaves office, his party is likely to win the next election if his job approval is over 50%, but lose if the number is below 50%. CONT.
Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times
Recent polls: Presidential approval