Americans strongly prefer Obama, Biden over Bush, Cheney

Americans prefer President Barack Obama over former President George W. Bush by a 23-point margin, according to a poll released Tuesday.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans said in a CNN/Opinion Research poll that they believe Obama has been doing a better job as president than Bush had during his eight years in office. Thirty-four percent of Americans said Bush did a better job.

Vice President Joe Biden enjoys a slightly narrower but still large margin over his predecessor, by contrast. Fifty-four percent of those surveyed told CNN they preferred Biden to former Vice President Dick Cheney. Thirty-eight percent of voters like Cheney better.

Overall, 54 percent of Americans said they approved of the way Obama is handling his job, while 45 percent disapproved.

Obama received his highest marks from voters on his handling of environmental policy, the federal government's response to swine flu, and foreign affairs.

He received more troubling results on his handling of illegal immigration, the federal budget deficit, healthcare policy and the situation in Afghanistan.

The poll, conducted Oct. 30-Nov. 1, has a 3 percent margin of error.