A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds that the bulk of Americans have concluded that President Barack Obama has met or exceeded expectations in his first 100 days:

President Obama begins the second 100 days of his presidency with 56% of Americans believing he has done an excellent or good job thus far, and only 20% saying he has done a poor or terrible job. According to the new USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted April 20-21, about a quarter of Americans are on the fence, saying his performance has been “just okay.”

USA Today’s lede puts another twist on the poll findings:
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.

But it’s also clear that there is a segment of voters who adamantly don’t like Obama. Gallup again:

Those who rate Obama positively have slightly tempered views of him, with more saying his performance has been “good” rather than “excellent,” 33% vs. 23%, respectively. However, those who are critical of Obama are as likely to use the harshest term — “terrible” — as they are to say his performance has been merely “poor,” 11% vs. 9%.

And, as we’ve noted here in other posts including THIS ONE that discusses Obama’s winning and (for now) sustaining political coalition, it’s clear that Obama’s support is comprised of enthusiastic support from Democrats, mixed but favorable ratings from independent voters, and a segment of the GOP that apparently does not embrace the Republican party’s currrent tone, style or proposals:

Democrats are highly laudatory of Obama, with 88% rating him excellent or good. Republicans offer more measured criticism — only 40% say he has done a poor or terrible job, while 35% say he has done “just okay

.”

Gallup notes that this poll gives more of a detailed breakdown than the daily tracking poll, which currently “65% of Americans saying they “approve” of the job Obama is doing as president; 29% disapprove. Thus, on both measures, Americans’ general assessment is quite positive, by a better than 2-to-1 margin.”

Additionally, Gallup notes that Obama’s ratings right now are where Bill Clinton’s were after his first 100 days in office:

The new poll also finds that Americans generally got what they expected in the Obama presidency. More than 6 in 10 — 62% — say Obama has thus far done about as they expected as president, overall. Among the rest, more indicate he has exceeded their expectations than fallen short, 24% vs. 13%.

Meanwhile, National Journal’s Ron Brownstein notes that polls now show Obama gaining the support of affluent and blue-collar workers. This is more bad news for the GOP:

As President Obama approaches the 100-day mark, one of his principal political assets is the breadth of his public approval. One of his principal challenges may be extending that personal support to his agenda.

Both ends of that equation are illuminated in a national survey released this week. The Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll explores how Americans manage the financial risks of everyday life — and where they look for help. The survey, which polled 1,200 adults from April 8 through 14, found that Obama enjoys broad support. His job-approval rating stood at 61 percent, with just 28 percent disapproving. At least 57 percent of voters in every age group gave him positive marks. So did at least 55 percent of voters in every income category, including six-figure earners. Republicans have cooled toward Obama (just 26 percent approve), but they make up only about one-fourth of the electorate; and Obama remains dominant among Democrats (89 percent approval) and solid among independents (61 percent approval).

Especially notable is Obama’s position among several high-status occupational groups not traditionally part of the Democratic coalition. Although the major lobbying groups for small business usually align with Republicans, the poll found that 58 percent of the self-employed approve of Obama’s performance. He receives a 55 percent approval rating from “knowledge workers” — college-educated professionals, such as engineers, consultants, and lawyers. Obama’s approval stands at 53 percent among the swells in the corner office, the people who identified themselves as senior business managers. That’s high for a Democrat.

Those positive early reviews underscore Obama’s opportunity to build an unusually expansive electoral coalition.

Obama’s poll ratings and what they suggest seem a bit deja vu for Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center. He sees some things that remind him of Ronald Reagan.