I'm not sure if this has been diaried already, but if it has, it warrants repeating for anyone who missed it.
Gallup reports that the average approval rating for Obama for the first half of 2009 was 63%. Now granted, this has slipped to the mid-to-high fifties for most of the Summer. Nevertheless, the state by state analysis is quite revealing.
As expected, Obama's biggest areas of strength are the Northeast, the Pacific Rim, and most of the Midwest. However, it is surprising to see how well has polled in the coastal South and even stretches of the great plains states. The North Dakota and Kentucky approval ratings really jump out at you. The Montana and Colorado numbers are a bit disappointing.
Obama's poorest performance in a solidly Democratic state was in West Virginia, which had an average 51% approval rating. His worst showing in a competitive state was 52% in Montana, while his best showing in a competitive state was 63% in North Dakota.
North Dakota also gave Obama his highest approval rating of any state he did not carry in the 2008 presidential election. Obama's lowest approval rating in a state he won is Colorado's 55%.
http://www.gallup.com/...