Gallup has Obama at 48.8%, below average

PRINCETON, NJ -- President Barack Obama averaged 48.8% job approval for his fifth quarter in office, spanning Jan. 20-April 19 Gallup Daily tracking. That is the lowest of his presidency to date, though not appreciably worse than his 50.8% fourth quarter average.

Obama's approval ratings have generally been near the 50% mark since mid-November, although all of his weekly approval averages since late February have been below 50%.

Obama's latest quarterly score of 48.8% is below average by historical standards, ranking in the 35th percentile of all presidential quarters for which Gallup has data, dating to 1945. The average historical quarterly approval average is 54%.

Additionally, Obama's latest quarterly average does not compare favorably to other elected presidents' averages at similar points in their presidencies. Obama joins Ronald Reagan (46.3%) and Jimmy Carter (48.0%) as the only elected presidents after World War II whose fifth quarter approval averages were below the 50% mark.