George W. Bush Gaining In Popularity

When former President George W. Bush left the White House in 2009, he left as an unpopular President. But time can do wonders and after 8 years of the Obama administration and a handful of months of the Trump administration, the former President's numbers are on the rise.

According to the Washington Examiner, Bush's popularity has risen 7 points in just the last year. Bush's favorability rating is now at 59 percent. That puts Bush right behind former President Obama who has a favorability of 63 percent. According to the Examiner story, Bush has seen a rise among Democrats and non-white voters.

While Bush's favorability remains unchanged among young adults at 42 percent, he has seen a significant bump among Democrats and independent voters. Democrats have a 41 percent favorable view of Bush compared to 33 percent one year ago. His favorability among non-white voters also rose from 39 percent in 2016 to 47 percent in the most recent survey.

Gallup's polling reveals Bush has enjoyed a steady improvement in his national image since his post-presidential low-point in 2009. In March of 2009 independents held a 29 percent favorable view of Bush compared to 56 percent today. Only 10 percent of Democrats viewed Bush favorably in 2009 compared to 41 percent in Gallup's June 2017 survey.

Some have attributed Bush's lower profile after his presidency to his rise in favorability.