Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, but now the former Senator and Secretary of State is more popular, with a 61% - 34% favorability rating among American voters, compared to Obama's 51% - 46% favorability, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll

Obama has a split 46% - 45% job approval, according to the independent Quinnipiac University poll, down from 53% - 40% approval among registered voters in December 2012, a month after his re-election. The new figure is closer to Obama's negative 45% - 49% job approval in July 2012, in the middle of his reelection campaign, and similar to his job score for much of his first term. A total of 68% of American voters are "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied" with the way things are going right now, while 31% are "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied."