US-Obama Approval: 47% Approve, 47% Disapprove (NBC/WSJ 11/11-15)

NBC News / Wall Street Journal
11/11-15/10; 1,000 adults, 3.1% margin of error
Mode: Live telephone interviews
toplines, NBC story, WSJ story

National

State of the Country
32% Right Direction, 58% Wrong Track (chart)

Obama Job Approval
47% Approve, 47% Disapprove (chart)
On the economy: 42 / 54 (chart)
On Foreign policy: 48 / 44 (chart)

Positive / Negative
Barack Obama: 49 / 39 (chart)

Party ID
32% Democrat, 24% Republican, 33% independent (chart)

NBC:

According to the poll, almost seven in 10 registered voters say they voted in the midterm elections with the hope of seeing change. By a two-to-one margin, they say the election results -- and the resulting divided government -- are good for the country.

But they are doubtful of just how much change will actually take place.

Almost three-quarters (73 percent) say there either will not be much change or just some change. And 76 percent believe the country is headed for a period of division with the parties showing little willingness to work together or compromise.

WSJ:

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows Americans skeptical of deficit-cutting proposals laid out by the chairmen of a commission appointed by the White House. In the survey, 57% of respondents said they were uncomfortable with gradually raising the Social Security retirement age to 69 over the next 60 years. Some 41% said they were somewhat or very comfortable with the idea.

Roughly 70% were uncomfortable with making cuts to programs such as Medicare, Social Security and defense in order to reduce the deficit, with 27% saying they were comfortable.