A new poll has revealed how Americans currently feel about Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The timing comes right before the gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey on November 4, with voters already watching how the midterms might play out next year.
Obama, who is now 64, appeared at rallies in Newark and Norfolk to support Democratic candidates Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger. Polls suggested both could win, and Obama’s presence aimed to give them a final boost.
During his speeches, Obama spoke more sharply than usual about the Trump administration. He said the Republicans’ policies are “worse than even I expected” and went on to accuse Trump of attacking free speech, immigrants, and public health. He also criticized the use of the National Guard in cities to stop “crime waves that don’t actually exist.”
A recent Marquette University survey found that Americans clearly prefer Obama to Trump. The poll, which included 1,005 adults nationwide from September 5 to September 24, showed that 57 percent view Obama favorably and 40 percent unfavorably, giving him a +17 net favorability score. Trump, on the other hand, had only 42 percent favorable views and 57 percent unfavorable, for a -15 score.
Political analyst Meena Bose said the results show that Obama’s “personal appeal, inspirational rhetoric, and unanticipated success in the 2008 presidential race continue to have strong public support.” She added: “The promise of hope and change was a defining feature of the Obama presidential campaign and still influences assessments of his presidency.”
The poll also compared favorability ratings of other presidents since Ronald Reagan. Reagan ranked the highest with a +28 score, while Joe Biden came in last with a -24 rating. George H.W. Bush scored +17, and both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had +8.
Bose said Biden’s low score could be tied to his decision to withdraw from the campaign, which may have affected how people currently view his presidency. Despite Biden’s struggles, Obama remains popular even years after leaving office in 2017.
A Gallup poll earlier this year also found that Obama was the most popular living president, with 59 percent of participants viewing him positively. Democrats are hoping that popularity will help them in upcoming races, especially as they try to connect Republican candidates to Trump ahead of next year’s midterms.
Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, said: “The question is whether or not Republicans are doing enough this time to completely breach it or partially breach it. I think even among the most nervous of Democrats, there’s no question that Republicans have to have a very big Election Day in order to be able to overcome what could be as much as 250 or 275,000 vote margin for Democrats at this point.”
