Obama's Poll Numbers Take a Beating

Obama's Poll Numbers Take a Beating: "Despite the majority disagreement on issues, the poll also found the president's approval rating remains in the healthy mid-50s. And two-thirds of Americans say he has the personal qualities a president should have.

'It's awfully early yet, but this president might be shaping up to be a little like Ronald Reagan, where people actually didn't often agree with Ronald Reagan's ideas, but they loved the guy,' said Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist and CNN contributor.

A popular president who is less popular on the issues -- Obama could use his personal popularity to rally support for his less popular agenda.

'They still like the messenger. That's important for Obama because he'll be able to look presidential, and Americans may respond to that as he's trying to make a pitch for his health care plan, financial reform, whatever he decides to do in Afghanistan and Iran,' said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director. Video Watch more on what the poll numbers mean »

The poll shows it's a lot harder to keep people liking you when you're governing than when you're politicking. It's a familiar path for presidents, who often start out popular but see their numbers drop as they get down to the nitty-gritty."

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