The Hill News

Forty-seven percent of the public approve of President Obama's job performance in a new Gallup poll, a figure that has remained relatively consistent since the November midterm elections.

Obama saw his approval dip by a statistically insignificant two percentage points from its high of 49 percent last week in Gallup's daily, but the president has not suffered a steep decline in approval like other presidents have following losses in the midterm elections. 

{mosads}Though Gallup noted the poll could be "characterized as positive for Obama," the president also did not see a spike in approval after Democrats passed a string of priority legislation during the lame-duck Congress.

The Gallup survey is the second this week that showed good n! ews for the president, who admitted his party took a "shellacking" in the midterms.

A CNN/Opinion Research poll released Tuesday showed Democratic support growing for Obama's renomination after rumors swirled he could face a primary challenge in 2012. 

But it's not clear whether or not the president's approval will remain the same next year, when Republicans take control of the House and gear up for the 2012 presidential race.

Obama last week touted the ! passage of his tax-cut deal, a repeal of the military's "Don't! ask, do n't tell" policy, a 9/11 first responders healthcare bill, food safety legislation and the ratification of the New START Treaty, as a model for bipartisan cooperation next year. But some believe compromise could be harder to achieve with Republicans in greater numbers.