Obama's standing with Republicans

It was interesting to note on our Illinois poll this week that even in his home state Barack Obama's approval rating is extremely polarized along party lines, with just 22% of GOP voters in the state giving him good marks.

That's actually not the best Obama has fared with Republicans in any of our polling over the last two months. Here's the breakdown:

State	Obama Approval with Republicans
Delaware	25%
Minnesota	23%
Illinois	22%
National	18%
Arkansas	18%
Kentucky	16%
Colorado	15%
North Carolina	13%
Texas	8%

There are some interesting implications in these numbers, particularly in Texas. Some Democrats point to the demographic shifts occurring in the state as possibly making it more hospitable for their candidates in the future, and while that may occur to some extent it's hard to make too much progress when it has some of the most partisan Republicans in the country.

It also points to the importance of Mike Castle in Delaware taking a moderate course, as much as it may sometimes frustrate some folks within his party. Not only is he representing an extremely Democratic state, but even the Republicans there are unusually supportive of the President.