President Bush’s approval rating up in latest poll

The CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found that the president’s approval rating stands at 56 percent. In mid-September, Bush’s approval rating was at 50 percent in a similar poll.

A Gallup official says finding a particular reason for the boost is difficult, suggesting it could be due to signs of an improved economy, or to the coverage of the California recall crowding out some of the criticism of the president.

Meanwhile, the poll suggested that the 2004 election race is still close. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed said they’d vote for Bush, 38 percent said they’d vote against him, and 24 percent said they were unsure.