Poll-itics: Obama receives highest levels of optimism of any modern president

By GottaLaff

As if we didn't know:

A new CBS News/New York Times poll finds that President-elect Barack Obama is the recipient of the highest levels of optimism and expectations of any modern president.

Seventy-nine percent of Americans say they are optimistic about the next four years, according to the poll. Only 16 percent say they are pessimistic.

As a comparison, between 64 and 70 percent of Americans said they were optimistic before the presidencies of Mr. Obama's five predecessors.

Expectations for Mr. Obama are exceptionally high overall. Sixty-eight percent think he will be a very good or a good president - higher than past expectations for both President Bush in 2001 (by 25 points), and for his father, President George H.W. Bush in 1989 (by 30 points).

Mr. Obama also enters the White House with the highest favorability ratings of any president in the last 30 years. Sixty percent view him favorably and only nine hold a negative opinion of him.

By comparison, 44 percent had a favorable view of Mr. Bush in 2001, and 30 percent had a not favorable view.