See How Much Americans Prefer Fictional Presidents to Barack Obama
Being leader of the free world isn't easyespecially when you have actors running around showing people they can do a better job than you. President Barack Obama's approval rating trails that of many actors who have played President on television in recent years, according to the mischievous pollsters at Reuters/Ipsos. The poll found 46 percent of Americans view Obama favorably, according to the survey published Monday. Americans' favorite TV president? David Palmer of 24. Of those who have watched the Fox thriller, 89 percent said they hold a favorable opinion of the President played by Dennis Haysbert. Martin Sheen's Jed Bartlett of The West Wing scores an 82 percent favorable ranking among viewers. President Laura Roslin of the SyFy channel's Battlestar Galatica pulled in a 78 percent favorability ranking from those who have watched her outfox Cylons. Obama even trails the famously scandalous leaders of House of Cards and Scandal. Fitzgerald Grant, one of Shonda Rimes many gifts to the world, has a 60 percent favorability rating from Scandal watchers. Francis Underwood, the Netflix President played by Kevin Spacey, is seen favorably by 57 percent of the show's audience. When compared to real competition, Obama performs much better. At this point in his second term, George W. Bush carried a 34 percent approval rating. Listen to the most important stories of the day.