Obama's approval-ratings high on eve

by Mark Silva

President-elect Barack Obama approaches his inauguration next week with extraordinary public support, drawing a 79-percent favorability rating in a new Pew Research Center survey - far stronger than either George W. Bush or Bill Clinton entered office.

"Public confidence in Barack Obama to deal with the nation's most pressing problems is quite high,'' Pew reports, "with about seven-in-ten saying they have at least a fair amount of confidence that he will do the right thing when it comes to mending the economy, preventing terrorism, and in dealing with Iraq. Notably, many Americans not only see the president-elect as a problem-solver, but as a "uniter" as well.''

A "uniter'' - the mantle that Bush hoped to claim.

And for the first time in many years, Pew reports, the survey has found "a sharp decline'' in the proportion of Americans who see the nation as more politically divided than in the past. Fewer than half - 46 percent - see the country as more divided now than before, which is down 20 points from a survey in the early days of the 2008 presidential campaign, in a January 2007 survey.

The survey of 1,503 adults conducted Jan. 7-11 found Americans "enthusiastic about Obama'' and generally approving of his handling of the transition of power. Fully 79 percent of those surveyed -- including 59 percent of the Republicans surveyed - say they have a favorable impression of Obama.

"That is far higher than Bush's personal favorability shortly before he took office in 2001 (60 percent),'' Pew notes.

Two-thirds of those surveyed approve of Obama's choices for his Cabinet and other high-level posts.

"As is typically the case at this stage,'' Pew reports, "most Americans think it is too early to tell whether Obama will be a successful or unsuccessful president.'' Yet optimists far outnumber pessimists (30 percent predict he will be successful versus 4 percent who think he will fail.)

At the same stage in 2001, 26 percent expected Bush to be successful, 15 percent unsuccessful.

Large majorities have "at least some confidence'' in Obama's judgment on the big issues - 75 percent say they have a great deal of confidence (33 percent) or a fair amount (42 percent.) to do "the right thing to fix the economy.''

His economic stimulus package is viewed as a good idea by 57 percent of those who have heard something about the plan.