Obama approval rating likely to go up after Osama killing

First, until last night, Americans had largely given up hope that bin Laden would ever be captured...

May 2, 2011

WASHINGTON — While the killing of al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden lacks true historical precedent, polling following similar events suggests that President Barack Obama will enjoy a bounce in public approval ratings in the days and weeks ahead. However, this boost will likely yield to perceptions of Obama’s handling of the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as more time passes.

In terms of public opinion, three factors work in Obama’s favor.

First, until last night, Americans had largely given up hope that bin Laden would ever be captured. In the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, 78 percent of Americans responding to a Gallup/USA Today/CNN poll agreed that bin Laden would likely be captured or killed; only 21 said his capture was unlikely. But by September of last year, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey asking the same question found that only 30 percent considered bin Laden’s capture likely, while 67 percent considered it unlikely.

Second, Americans have repeatedly expressed overwhelming support for the course of action that Obama and his national security team pursued. Republican pollster Alex Lundry tells The Huffington Post that a survey his firm conducted this past January showed that 80 percent of Americans favored capturing or killing Osama bin Laden, but only 16 percent said they thought it was likely to happen.

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