President 2012 Poll Watch: Obama Approval Rate Reaches 49 Per Cent and Trending Upward

President Barack Obama’s job approval rating rose to 49% in the three-day period from Friday through Sunday, building on an upward trend that began the middle of last week. Obama’s current approval rating is the highest measured since early February, and before that the highest since June 2011.

Gallup’s latest three-day rolling average is based on polling conducted Friday through Sunday, March 9-11, and reflects the impact of the U.S. government’s positive employment report released on Friday. Gallup’s tracking of U.S. economic confidence showed a sharp positive uptick over the weekend, with the overall Economic Confidence Index at -13 and -14 in the three-day rolling averages reported Saturday and Sunday. The -13 average for March 8-10 is the most positive three-day economic confidence average recorded since Gallup began tracking in January 2008. Forty-six percent of Americans now say the economy is getting better, the highest percentage since late 2009. Gallup’s full weekly report on U.S. economic confidence will be published Tuesday morning on Gallup.com.

Here is the weekly average chart:

And, the weekly approval chart by gender:

So, what does this all mean?

Remember, during the Bill Clinton campaign against President Bush the campaign mantra was: It’s the Economy Stupid? Same here – Obama will rise or fall in the polls because of the economy and its trends – either improving or declining.

Americans are perceiving an uptick in the economy today and thereby feel better about President Obama’s job approval.

Remember John McCain and Sarah Palin were making a comeback in 2008, before they were sunk by the Fall economic collapse. President Obama could rise or fall by outside events upon which he has little or no control. Or, on the other hand, by his economic policies that are successful or not.