PRINCETON, NJ -- Thus far in October, an average of 90% of Democrats, and 8% of Republicans, approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as president. That 82-percentage-point gap in approval ratings by party is on pace to be the largest Gallup has measured for a recent incumbent president in the final month before Americans vote on his re-election. George W. Bush had an 80-point party gap in approval, while the October gaps for other presidents were less than 70 points.

Gallup did not routinely ask presidential approval in October for presidents prior to Ronald Reagan. But Obama's ratings throughout his first three years in office have been among the most polarized Gallup has measured for any president.

Obama's already highly polarized ratings are becoming even more so in his fourth year in office. Thus far, his ratings have averaged 85% among Democrats and 10% among Republicans, for a 75-point gap. That compares with gaps averaging 68 points during his second and third years in office and 65 points during his first.

That is not unexpected, as Gallup has typically found presidents' ratings to be most polarized by party in their fourth year in office, which is normally the year they seek re-election to a second term. But ratings of recent presidents are far more politically divided than those of less recent presidents.

Obama's 75-point party gap in approval during year four to date is one point lower than the average 76-point gap for George W. Bush during his fourth year in office.

Bush's fourth year currently stands as the most polarized for any presidential year in Gallup records, dating back to 1953.

Reagan's presidency may have brought about the dawn of a more distinctly partisan view of presidents, which has continued and become more extreme, particularly with respect to George W. Bush and Obama.

Implications

Like his immediate predecessor, George W. Bush, President Obama gets near-universal approval from supporters of his own party and near-universal disapproval from supporters of the opposition party as he seeks re-election. Perhaps not coincidentally, both presidents had tough re-election battles, with Bush narrowly defeating John Kerry in 2004 and Obama trying to hold off Mitt Romney's strong challenge for his job this year.

That underscores the importance of turnout by the party groups in the Nov. 6 election, given that views of the president are largely fixed. Another key in determining Obama's electoral fate may be which side of the 50% approval mark independent voters wind up on; they have been very near 50% approval in recent weeks.

Explore President Obama's approval ratings in depth and compare them with those of past presidents in the Gallup Presidential Job Approval Center.

