Obama in Strong Position at Start of Second Term

A new Pew Research survey finds President Obama’s approval rate at 52%, his highest since the early months of his presidency. “His personal favorability, currently 59%, has rebounded from a low of 50% in the fall campaign. And increasing percentages describe him as a strong leader, able to get things done and as someone who stands up for his beliefs.”

Meanwhile, the Republican Party’s image, “which reached a recent high of 42% favorable following the GOP convention this past summer, has fallen once again to a low of just 33%. Much of this decline has come among Republicans themselves.”