According to two new polls released Wednesday, President Barack Obama is feeling more love from the American public than he has in nearly a year. The commander-in-chief’s approval rating is currently at its highest since June 2011. While recent polling has shown a slight dip in Obama’s approval rating as gasoline prices across the nation continue to soar, other recent economic trends — combined with a divisive and seemingly never-ending Republican presidential primary cycle — may have boosted the president’s esteem in the eyes of the average American. Obama’s approval rating rose to 49 percent in a Gallup survey taken March 9-11 and released Monday, which reports his approval seemed to build on an upward trend that began early last week when it hovered at 43 percent. An additional Reuters/Ipsos poll of more than 1000 adults conducted during the same weekend found Obama’s approval rating just higher 50 percent, although a considerable 48 percent of respondents said they disapproved of his job performance. Moreover, the survey found that 37 percent of respondents said the US is heading in the right direction, up from 32 percent in February. Both surveys reported that the fact the US economy gained approximately 227000 jobs in February, released on Friday, likely contributed to the president’s higher approval rating over the weekend. Obama may also be benefiting from the often bitter GOP presidential race, which has been unusually focused on highly divisive social issues …