George W. Bush Rebounds, Approval Nearly Tied with Obama

In a recent ABC/Washington Times poll, former President George W. Bush’s approval rating is at 47%–a statistical dead heat with current President Barack Obama, whose approval is at 48%.

This means Bush’s approval is up from lows around 33% when he left office. It also means Obama is down from his highest approval rating, around 69% in January 2009.

Bush has gained in public favor, which is something many ex-presidents do over time. Exceptions to this rule would be Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon, both of whom actually declined in popularity for a time once leaving office. 

The George W. Bush Presidential Center opens on the SMU campus in Dallas on May 1st. It will include exhibits on focused on 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2000 Florida recount.