Gallup: Bill Clinton's Popularity Nears New High -- But His Wife Trails Rudy

By: E&P Staff Who even knew they tracked presidential approval ratings -- after the president leaves office? In any case, the folks at Gallup report today that Bill Clinton's approval rating, more than six years after leaving office, is near an all-time high.

His 63% approval rating is his highest since February 1998, and just short of his high mark, 66%, set just prior to his inauguration in 1993. His average as president was 57%. His current mark is slightly above that of his wife, Hillary Clinton, which currently stands at 58%.

Meanwhile, another Gallup polls shows Sen. Clinton topping Sen. John McCain in a 2008 match for president, by three points, 50% vs. 47%, while Clinton trails Rudy Giuliani by two points, 48% vs. 50%.

Surprisingly, newcomer Sen. Barack Obama does nearly as well vs. McCain (tying with him at 48%), but trails Giuliani by a nine-point margin: 43% to 52%. Gallup attributes the latter falloff to Democratic defections. Why that is might produce interesting speculation.