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By Kelsey Williams, SFGate.com

While not “the most popular figure” ever polled, God still beats many American leaders.

A new poll found that most Americans think God is doing a pretty swell job running things. The same can’t be said for Congress.

A Democratic polling company, Public Policy Polling, conducted a survey of 928 Americans, and found that 52 percent of voters approve of the deity with only nine percent disapproving. The survey, found here, was conducted over the phone from July 15through July 17, and had a margin of error of 3.2 percent.

In the survey, the polling firm referred to God as “it” to avoid placing a specific gender on the deity, a choice that could have affected perception of the poll.

God far surpassed Congressional approval ratings, a mere 33 percent for both Republicans and Democrats, and beat Senate Majority leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, by a hefty margin.

In the results, the research team found a significant gap in the numbers depending on age groups with voters between the ages of 18 and 29 more likely to be critical of God—26 percent disapproving. Only four percent of respondents over 65 voiced their disapproval.

Michael Sadowsky also noted another age discrepancy in the company’s blog:

“Only 15 percent of those 18-29 said they were unsure whether they approved of God, while 54 percent of those over 65 said they were unsure. This could indicate that the youth is much more comfortable answering silly questions about religion while the elderly feel a question on God’s approval is taking religion too lightly.”

God scored highly in his role in creating the world—71 percent approval—but not so well in dealing with natural disasters—50 percent approval and 13 percent disapproval.

While the firm noted that God was not the most popular figure it had polled, the omnipotent being is scoring well compared to other American leaders and is absolutely demolishing the widely unpopular Rupert Murdoch who received only 12 percent approval with 49 percent disapproval.

Rupert Murdoch’s approval rating pales in comparison to the supreme being. (Duh!) Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

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The FBI says they are investigating a new, credible lead in the infamous, 40-year-old D.B. Cooper hijacking case, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

FILE--A 1971 artist's sketch released by the FBI shows the skyjacker known as 'Dan Cooper' and 'D.B. Cooper', was made from the recollections of passengers and crew of a Northwest Orient Airlines jet he hijacked. Photo: FBI/file / AP

All investigators would reveal is that they had found a connection between the thief D.B. Cooper and a new suspect.  Using an unidentified object belonging to the new suspect, the FBI is carrying out DNA and fingerprinting tests.

D.B. Cooper is the alias of an unknown hijacker who took control of a Northwest Orient Airlines 727 flight over Washington in 1971.  Landing in Seattle, Cooper traded hostages for $200,000 and parachutes then ordered the plane to Mexico and jumped out with a parachute mid-flight.

His alias comes from the name on his boarding pass “Dan Cooper,” which became D.B. after some media miscommunication.

One prevailing theory is that Cooper did not survive his attempted jump.

[Sandalo Dietrich didn't say if agents believe the possible suspect is dead, though Carr and other agents have previously said they believed Cooper died the night he jumped, sinking into the earth with a parachute that didn't open properly. That would explain why he and most the money have never been found, they've said.

...

Cooper also didn't recognize that the "X" on the backup parachute he used meant it was only for classroom demonstrations -- and sewn shut. The main chute Cooper used was packaged as a Navy-issue NB6.

"He jumped with the parachute I packed," former Issaquah sky-diving instructor Earl Cossey told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in March 2008. "But he obviously didn't know what he was doing.""

FILE--A 1981 FBI artist's rendition (top) shows D.B. Cooper as he looked in 1971. (AP Photo/Pensacola News Journal)

Cooper’s crime is the only unsolved commercial hijacking case in American history.  Perhaps that can be attributed to the relatively lax security of airports in the 70s.  Compared to today’s post-lapsarian world of airport security, it’s hard to imagine a similar crime occurring as successfully.