MTSU Poll: Tennesseans' Approval of Obama Jumps

MURFREESBORO, TN — Approval of President Barack Obama in Tennessee is up double-digits from where it was in January.

According to the MTSU Poll, the president has a 42 percent approval rating in the state, 11 points higher than it was in January and higher even than that of George W. Bush among Tennesseans at the same point in their presidency. In October 2008, Bush's approval rating was 32 percent. The mark is the highest figure for Obama in more than six years. He hit 42 percent in the Spring 2010 MTSU poll. His high-water mark came shortly after his inauguration when his approval was at 53 percent.

With positives up 11 points, the president's negatives were down eight. The poll showed 53 percent of Tennesseans disapprove of the president's performance; that figure was 61 percent in January.

The poll of more than 600 registered voters was taken between September 28 and October 2 and has a 4 point margin of error.

Gov. Bill Haslam's approval rating held steady at 58 percent, while approval for the General Assembly was up four points to 52 percent. Both Sen. Bob Corker and Sen. Lamar Alexander had 45 percent approval ratings, up slightly for Alexander and down slightly for Corker.

Tennesseans are starting to see Congress as a whole a bit rosier, to be generous. Congress received a 17 percent approval rating, up from 12 percent in January.