WHAA..? – AT 9:26 A.M. ET:  President Obama's approval rating is at its highest point in three years.  What is the explanation?  From The Hill:

More Americans now say President Obama is doing a good job than at any other point in almost three years.

Fifty percent approve of Obama’s performance as chief executive according to Gallup's most recent weekly survey, eleased Thursday.

Obama's job approval rating ticked up 5 points since the beginning of the year. It's also 3 points higher than the average of his weekly ratings for his seventh year in office, Gallup added.
Obama in now the middle of the pack among other modern presidents during their final March in the Oval Office.

Obama outperforms former President George W. Bush, for example, who received a high of 32 percent in March 2008.

Former President Clinton, meanwhile, earned 63 percent in March 2000, while former President Reagan gained 52 percent in March 1988.

Gallup surveyed 3,563 adults from Feb. 28-March 6. Its new survey has a 2-percent margin of error.

COMMENT:  Have the American people gone bonkers?  On the one hand, polls show them angry and frustrated.  On the other hand, the cause of much of that anger and frustration grows more popular.

I think there's an explanation, maybe several explanations.  First, Obama is compared, in people's minds, to the candidates running to replace them.  They are seen as argumentative, small, quibbling, combative, and he floats above the fray.  He's not doing much these days, and there are no current scandals.  Compared to the battling candidates, Obama has a pretty good image.  In the absence of a bitter election campaign, I think he'd be polling much lower. 

Also, the press still covers for Obama.  It doesn't want the first black president to fail. 

The president's approval rating is actually quite important, I'm sorry to say.  Presidential elections are historically influenced by the approval of the president in power.  A good approval rating for Obama will help the Dem candidate, a poor approval rating will help the Republican choice.

March 10,  2016