Poll: Obama burnishes image

WASHINGTON -- President Obama's opening months in the Oval Office have fortified his standing with the American public, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, giving him political capital for battles ahead.

As his 100th day as president approaches next Wednesday, the survey shows Obama has not only maintained robust approval ratings but also bolstered the sense that he is a strong and decisive leader who can manage the government effectively during a time of economic crisis.

"A lot of things were ignored over the last eight years, and I think it's all coming home to roost," says Benjamin Bleadon, 51, an insurance broker from Skokie, Ill., who was among those surveyed. "He has given the perception that he understands the issues and that he has taken control … and we'll just have to wait and see if it works."

The poll of 1,051 adults, taken Monday and Tuesday, has a margin of error of +/— 3 percentage points.

Since October, the percentage who see Obama as a "strong and decisive leader" has jumped 12 percentage points, and his image as an effective manager has gone up 11 points.

Now, 56% say he has done an "excellent" or "good" job as president versus 20% who rate him as "poor" or "terrible." An additional 23% say he has done "just OK."

His excellent/good rating on national security is 53%. On the economy, it is 48%.

"He is seen as someone who was handed a large array of challenges and is dealing with them in a sensible way," adviser David Axelrod says.

There are sharp partisan divisions over that, however. Nearly nine of 10 Democrats and half of independents say Obama has done an excellent or good job. Only one in four Republicans agree.

And while Obama's ratings are high, there is concern about the course he is charting. Four in 10 say he is "relying too much on the federal government to solve the country's problems." When asked to name the "worst thing" he has done as president, three in 10 cite big spending and budget deficits.

"He's throwing money at the automobile makers and all these companies," says Kelsey Maliszewski, 26, of Ocala, Fla., one of those polled.