Barack Obama is holding on to relatively high levels of support among the so-called "Obama coalition" of minorities, liberals and young Americans, suggesting the president could play a potent role helping the next Democratic presidential nominee's bid for election, an Associated Press-GfK poll found.
Yet even with that support from his core supporters, less than half the public has a positive view of his presidency.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, the party front-runner in the 2016 presidential campaign, is viewed somewhat less favorably by the key voting groups whose record-setting turnout in 2008 propelled Obama to the White House.
Roughly two-thirds of Hispanics view Obama favorably, compared to just over half of Hispanics who say the same about Clinton. Among self-identified liberals, Obama's favorability stands at 87 percent, to Clinton's 72 percent. Half of Americans under the age of 30 view Obama favorably, compared to just 38 percent for his former secretary of state.
The findings offer a window into the factors at play as Clinton decides how closely to embrace Obama, his record and his policies in her campaign for president. Although associating herself with Obama could turn off some independent and Republican-leaning voters, electoral math and changing demographics make it critical for Democrats to turn out high numbers of Hispanics, African Americans and young voters.
Overall, Obama's job approval rating stands at 43 percent, a leveling off following an AP-GfK poll conducted in early February that put his approval at 47 percent slightly higher than it had been through most of 2014. The number of Americans who disapprove of Obama's job performance has stayed relatively steady at 55 percent.
"He just seems to have something in his mind that he wants to accomplish and keeps trying to get it done," said Christine Klauder, a self-described liberal from southern New Jersey.
Klauder said she voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012 and said her support hasn't dropped off. "He's more oriented toward the kind of people that I feel that we are, have been all my life."
Contrast that with Klauder's views about Clinton, who has yet to win her enthusiastic support. "Being a woman, I think it would be wonderful to see her in but I'm not sure," Klauder said. "I think maybe her time has passed."
Obama, whose troubles in the polls were seen as a drag on Democratic in last year's midterm elections, has also managed to hold on to recent gains he's made among core supporters.
