As Obama approval rating dips across country, DC gives him thumbs up

President Obama’s job approval rating is hovering at a meager 41 percent or so this month. But not to worry – residents in the nation’s capital still love him.

Detailed polling data released this week by Gallup shows that Obama is holding down a robust 81 percent job approval rating in the District of Columbia.

The Gallup breakdown reflects a great divide in the country over the president. He remains relatively popular on the East Coast and in the state where he was born, Hawaii, where roughly 60 percent approve of his job performance.

But his numbers in the heartland and Appalachian states remain in the dumps. And the president is least popular in Wyoming, which gives him a 22.5 percent approval rating.

According to Gallup, the states that approve and disapprove of Obama have not changed much over the years. But the numbers are significant this year considering vital House and Senate midterm elections in the fall.

Democrats running in states where Obama is not popular could struggle to separate themselves from the incumbent president.