Middle East News and Steady Approval Rating Buoy Obama

Pollster John Zogby regularly updates our Obamameter. Each week, Zogby uses his polling, expert analysis, and interaction with major players to come up with a rating of between 1 and 100. Unlike his polls, the Obamameter is his judgment on the performance of the president once multiple factors are considered. In this week's Obamameter, Zogby says that the president is edging up because of his steady approval ratings and the possibility of success in the Middle East.

"Since my last rating, Obama gave his Cairo speech to the Muslim world. While the focus has been on what he said—and face it, it was brilliant—what was more important was that he showed that an American president can listen. The reason he said all the right things to allay Muslim fears is that he heard their concerns and addressed them. He also had a good week with a victory for the pro-Western coalition in Lebanon. A victory this weekend for a reformist candidate in Iran could qualify as a trifecta and set the stage for a regional peace conference. The Lebanese election was really a blow to both Syria and Iran. On the other hand, while Americans may be hearing about the recession bottoming out, it doesn't sound like they're feeling it yet. Obama's poll approval ratings are in the high 50s; my excellent/good reading is still 52 percent."

This week's rating: 82

Last Week's Rating: 76

John Zogby is president and CEO of Zogby International, a public opinion, research, and business solutions firm with experience in more than 70 countries. Founded and led by Zogby since 1984, Zogby International specializes in telephone, Internet, and face-to-face survey research and analysis for corporate, political, nonprofit, and governmental clients. The firm is headquartered in Utica, N.Y. John Zogby is also the author of The Way We'll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream (Random House).