Reuters/Ipsos Poll: Obama Reaches 50 Percent Approval

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A new national survey from Reuters conducted by polling firm Ipsos shows President Obama’s approval rating at 50 percent in their polling for the first time since the summer of 2011. The President’s 50 – 48 split was a slight improvement from his 48 – 49 split in their numbers from last month. From their report:

“The economy is improving,” said Ipsos pollster Cliff Young. “Not by leaps and bounds but people feel that things are getting better.” The Ipsos/Reuters poll also found that Americans’ confidence in the direction of the country is ticking upward. In the poll, 37 percent of those surveyed said the United States is headed in the right direction, up from 32 percent in February.

The nearly even rating is different than two national polls that came out Monday that showed Obama’s approval tanking in the face of rising gas prices. Numbers from CBS News/New York Times along with ABC News/Washington Post polling both showed the President’s personal approval rating on the economy falling back to the depths of 2011 — the CBS/NYT data showed Obama’s general approval rating at 41 percent, which tied a low in their polling. But pollsters and reporters alike have wondered this week why his approval ratings were going down as confidence in the US economy and recovery are increasing, and even more data from Gallup came out Tuesday that confirmed the optimism

The TPM Poll Average, which averages all public polls, shows President Obama underwater by 2.6 points.

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