Poll: Obama support mirrors Bush after reelection

A new poll shows that President Obama has the support of just over half of American adults, a number roughly equal to that of President George W. Bush at the beginning of his second term.

The survey, from the Wall Street Journal, also showed that 57 percent of Americans believe they "somewhat" or "strongly" relate to the president. By comparison, 42 percent of respondents said they related to Obama "only a little" or "not really."

More than half of respondents felt encouraged about the president's ability to handle the next four years. Some 30 percent said they were "optimistic and confident," while 23 percent called themselves "satisfied and hopeful."

Still, a significant number also signaled concern: Three in 10 Americans said they were "pessimistic and worried" about the president's performance in the next four years.

The Journal poll was the third released Wednesday that showed the American public rallying behind Obama in the weeks before his second inaugural. 

A Bloomberg poll released earlier in the day showed that almost half of all GOP voters surveyed say the president has an election mandate to raise taxes on the rich, while nearly two in three say the election should be read as an endorsement of the president's pledge to preserve entitlement benefits.

The survey also showed Obama with a 53 percent approval rating — the president's highest numbers since December 2009. 

Another survey from The Washington Post and ABC News showed only 24 percent of Americans approve with the job that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has done in the fiscal-cliff negotiations, while a majority approved of Obama's negotiating tactics.

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