Two months into his six-year term, President López Obrador enjoys an 86% approval rating, according to a new poll that also shows strong support for the government’s crackdown on fuel theft.

The survey, conducted by the newspaper El Financiero over two days last week, shows that just 13% of 410 people polled disapprove of the president’s performance while 1% of respondents were undecided.

In contrast, the highest rating ever earned by López Obrador’s predecessor, Enrique Peña Nieto, was just 57%, in May 2013, according to pollster Consulta Mitofsky. His lowest rating was 17% in February 2017 and he finished his term last November at 24%.

But AMLO, as Peña Nieto’s successor is commonly known, can do no wrong in the eyes of citizens.

Even though it caused widespread and prolonged gasoline shortages, the government’s anti-fuel theft strategy was very popular among poll respondents, with 80% saying they considered the move to be very good or good. Just 12% said that the strategy was very bad or bad.

López Obrador’s appearance at daily early-morning press conferences was considered very good or good by 72% of those polled, making them the second most popular measure implemented by the new government.

The response to the deadly petroleum pipeline explosion in Hidalgo, which 65% of respondents said was very good or good, was the next most popular government action followed by the decision to sell off government-owned armored vehicles, which garnered 64% support.

Less popular were the government’s response to teachers’ rail blockades and protests in Michoacán and Oaxaca, and its decision to continue to recognize Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela in contrast with the United States and several other countries in the region and beyond.

However, more than half of people polled supported the government on both issues, with 56% and 54% respectively saying that its actions were very good or good, while just 15% and 17% said that they were very bad or bad.

Poll respondents were also asked to rate the president’s performance using baseball terminology in recognition of the fact that the sport is López Obrador’s favorite.

Just over a third of those polled – 34% – said that the leftist leader’s performance during the month of January was equivalent to a home run while 33% more said that he had scored a hit.

One in 10 respondents said that López Obrador had struck out and 7% likened his performance to hitting a foul.

Perhaps reflecting their unfamiliarity with the sport, 16% of people said that they didn’t how to rate the president’s performance in baseball terms.

The poll, conducted via telephone with residents of all 31 Mexican states and Mexico City on January 31 and February 1, has a margin of error of +/-4.8%, El Financiero said.

Source: El Financiero (sp)