<p>The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows a boost in Obama's approval numbers and the perception among Americans that he is more moderate. Unemployment, however, remains a sticking point among those polled.<br /><br />But public concern is coalescing around the stubbornly high unemployment rate, now 9.4 percent, a potential pitfall for the president. If rising optimism about the economic recovery dwindles, the surge of support could fade, pollsters cited by the Wall Street Journal said.<br /><br />In the survey, 53 percent said they approved of the job Obama is doing as the president, up eight percentage points from December. Forty-one percent said they disapprove of the president's performance, down from 48 percent last month. The poll surveyed 1,000 adults Jan 13-17.<br /><br />Among political independents, positive views of Obama's job performance surpassed negative views for the first time since August 2009, the Journal reported.<br /><br />For the first time in a year, Obama drew a positive reaction from white adults, when asked about their feelings toward Obama.<br /><br />The poll comes after December's lame-duck session of Congress gave Obama the chance to tack to the centre to notch major bipartisan victories on taxes and arms control, while winning the long-sought liberal goal of allowing gays to serve openly in the military, the Journal noted.</p>
<p>The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows a boost in Obama's approval numbers and the perception among Americans that he is more moderate. Unemployment, however, remains a sticking point among those polled.<br /><br />But public concern is coalescing around the stubbornly high unemployment rate, now 9.4 percent, a potential pitfall for the president. If rising optimism about the economic recovery dwindles, the surge of support could fade, pollsters cited by the Wall Street Journal said.<br /><br />In the survey, 53 percent said they approved of the job Obama is doing as the president, up eight percentage points from December. Forty-one percent said they disapprove of the president's performance, down from 48 percent last month. The poll surveyed 1,000 adults Jan 13-17.<br /><br />Among political independents, positive views of Obama's job performance surpassed negative views for the first time since August 2009, the Journal reported.<br /><br />For the first time in a year, Obama drew a positive reaction from white adults, when asked about their feelings toward Obama.<br /><br />The poll comes after December's lame-duck session of Congress gave Obama the chance to tack to the centre to notch major bipartisan victories on taxes and arms control, while winning the long-sought liberal goal of allowing gays to serve openly in the military, the Journal noted.</p>