Obama’s approval rating highest since July 2009

VIDEO - In a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, new numbers show that 53 percent of Americans approve of the way President Barack Obama is handling his job...

In a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, new numbers show that 53 percent of Americans approve of the way President Barack Obama is handling his job. This is the highest rating the president has received since July of 2009, just prior to the health care debates began.

According to NBC Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd there are a number of factors contributing to the rise in the presidents approval.

Seventy-four percent of Americans approve of Obama’s handling of the Tuscon shooting, largely because of the speech he gave calling for dialed-down rhetoric. There is also more optimism about the recovery of the nation’s economy. Fifty-three percent of people think that within the next five years things will get better. That number was 20 points lower just six months ago.

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Another boost to Obama’s overall approval came from his handling of the lame-duck Congress, during which tax cuts and the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ passed. Fifty-five percent of Americans think Obama will strike the appropriate balance in dealing with Republicans, but 55 percent also think the Republicans will be too inflexible in working with Obama.

“Going into the State of the Union, the public is giving the president the benefit of the doubt, and they’re telling Republicans ‘you’ve got the burden of proof,’” Todd said.

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