Quinnipiac poll shows boost in Obama’s approval rating

By Alex Katz, Globe Correspondent

WASHINGTON – President Obama’s approval rating has significantly improved this month, according to a new Quinnipiac University survey released today.

The poll shows that 47 percent of Americans approve of Obama’s job performance, a six-point bump from the 41 percent he received in Quinnipiac’s last survey in early October. The president’s disapproval rating has also dropped from 55 percent to 49 percent. The margin of error is 2.1 percent.

It’s important to note that Quinnipiac’s numbers are slightly higher than those in other national polls. RealClearPolitics.com, which averages dozens of surveys, pegs Obama’s approval rating at 44.6 percent and his disapproval rating at 50 percent. The president’s approval-disapproval rating was also slightly worse in polls from Rasmussen (44-55 percent) and Gallup (43-50 percent). It was a modest improvement for Obama in Gallup’s poll, which found that 40 percent of Americans approved of his job performance in early October.

Quinnipiac pollsters were quick to note that they weren’t sure yet what explains these gains in their survey.