In the ex-presidency game, there's a lot to be said for sitting at home quietly and letting the new guy take his lumps.
Aside from the occasional presidential library to open or first pitch to throw out, chilling out at home with the missus seems to have been former President George W. Bush's legacy-building gameplan since leaving office in 2008.
According to a major national poll released Tuesday, that strategy is paying off for W.
Gallup pollsters announced Tuesday that the last Bush in office is more popular than our sitting president. Forty-nine percent of Americans now see Bush in favorable terms, compared to 47 percent for President Barack Obama.
Bush's 49/45 approval-to-disapproval rating split in the new poll also is the first time since 2005 – not-so-coincidentally the same year as Hurricane Katrina – that more Americans say they approve of his presidency than don't. It's also a major uptick from his favorability rating low of 35 percent in March 2009. (His high: 87% two months after the 9/11 attacks in 2001).
Bush is even gaining ground among Democrats, who give him a 24 percent approval rating, up 10 percent from his last day in office. Independents have also given Bush a double-digit approval bump since 2009.
The shift seemingly makes sense. When you're the guy watching the late night comedians mock the latest presidential scandal (domestic spying, IRS nosiness, Michelle's bangs) instead of being their target, there's an OK chance some members of the public are going to remember you a little more fondly.
So who would you pick in a popularity, pie-eating or any other kind of presidential contest? Post your pick in the comment section below.