ABC News: Poll: President's Year-End Job Approval So this is interesting. I'm not a mathematics WHIZ by any means but I know when numbers are greater than (>) or less than (<) each other. So lets look at this: the president won 53% of the popular vote as tallied by the Diebold voting machines yet the ABC news poll, not counted with Diebold voting machines, says the presidents approval rating is 48%. 48 < 53 : 48 is less than (<) 53. I wonder if someone took an approval rating solely in a state like lets say OHIO and compared it to the election results if you would get this same result? A job approval rating of 48% and they call it a mandate? Is this the twilight zone?!