Politics / Rahm Emanuel Rahm's Approval Rating: 19% And only 2% 'strongly approve' of Chicago mayor By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff Posted Feb 22, 2013 1:15 PM CST Copied Rahm Emanuel closes his eyes during a news conference after the Chicago Teacher's Union House of Delegates voted to suspend their strike against the school system Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Maybe it's a good thing Rahm Emanuel is reportedly considering a presidential run—because he isn't doing so hot in Chicago. The mayor's approval rating has plummeted so far it's within spitting distance of Congress, according to a new Crain's/Ipsos poll, which showed only 19% of respondents approving of or even leaning toward approving of the job he's doing—and only 2% of Chicagoans strongly approving—while 50% at least lean toward disapproval. That's a big fall from September, when the public was roughly split, with 34% approving and 33% disapproving. Crain's speculates that Emanuel may be paying the price for butting heads with the Chicago Teachers Union. It also notes that he's doing better in Chicago proper than in suburban and downstate areas, giving him the opposite profile of predecessor Richard Daley. (More Rahm Emanuel stories.) Report an error