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Most give Obama thumbs up on first 100 days, polls say

  • Story Highlights
  • CNN poll of polls finds 63 percent approve of how President Obama handling duties
  • Obama's approval rating at 64 percent in CNN poll of polls in January
  • CNN poll of polls is an average of seven national surveys taken over the past week
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As President Obama marks his 100th day in office, most recent national polls indicate that more than six in 10 Americans approve of the job he's doing as president.

Polls reflect that most Americans approve of President Obama's performance during his first 100 days in office.

Polls reflect that most Americans approve of President Obama's performance during his first 100 days in office.

According to a CNN poll of polls compiled Wednesday, 63 percent said they approve of how Obama is handling his duties. Twenty-nine percent disapprove. The rating is down 3 percentage points from CNN's previous poll of polls, which was compiled Sunday.

The president's approval rating stood at 64 percent in a CNN poll of polls in January shortly after his inauguration.

"The number of Americans who think Obama has the right personal qualities to be president has gone up since the campaign last fall," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director. "That wasn't true for George W. Bush eight years ago, and it may be one reason why Obama's approval rating is still in the 60s."

How does Obama compare with his predecessors around the first 100-days mark?

Bush stood at 62 percent in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll in April 2001; Bill Clinton at 55 percent in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll in April 1993; George H.W. Bush at 58 percent in a Gallup Poll from April 1989; and Ronald Reagan at 67 percent in a Gallup Poll in April 1981.

"The 100-day mark tends to fall during a period when Americans are still evaluating a new president. The danger period for most presidents comes later in their first year in office," Holland said.

"Bill Clinton, for example, still had good marks after his first 100 days, but his approval rating had tanked by June of 1993. Ronald Reagan's approval rating stayed over 50 percent until November of his first year in office, but once it slipped below that mark, it stayed under 50 percent for two years. So Obama's current rating certainly does not indicate that he is out of the woods yet."

The most recent edition of the CNN poll of polls is an average of seven national surveys taken over the past week: CNN/Opinion Research Corp. (April 23-26), ABC/Washington Post (April 21-24), Fox/Opinion Dynamics (April 22-23), CBS/The New York Times (April 22-26), Marist (April 21-23), Quinnipiac (April 21-27) and the Gallup tracking poll (April 25-27). iReport.com: Grade the first 100 days

The poll of polls does not have a sampling error.

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