Michelle O Popular, but Less than Bush Wives

First Lady Michelle Obama has escaped the ratings plunge her husband has been experiencing. A new Gallup poll shows that her 66% approval rating has remained virtually unchanged for the past three and a half years.

Since Barack Obama’s first inauguration, his wife’s popularity has only dipped in the latter part of 2009, when it dipped to 61%. The only First Lady of the last four who was viewed more unfavorably than her husband was Hillary Clinton; the only time she became more popular than her husband was when they faced the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Yet neither Michelle Obama nor Hillary Clinton could match the average approval ratings of Laura Bush and Barbara Bush, who rated 73% and 77%; Obama’s average is 66% and Clinton’s was 56%.

Democrats gave Obama a 92% approval rating, independents, 61%, and Republicans, 43%.