According to a new Quinnipiac University poll, President Barack Obama’s approval rating is on the decline after a two-month post-election bounce.

The poll finds that 46 percent approve of the president, while 45 percent disapprove. That represents a sharp decline from December, when Obama’s approval sat at 53 percent in the wake of his triumphant re-election.

Predictably, there is a deep partisan divide in how Obama is perceived. In the Quinnipiac poll, just 7 percent of Republicans approve of Obama’s job performance, while 87 percent disapprove; those numbers are inverted exactly among Democrats.

Voters are generally pessimistic about the direction of the country; the poll finds 40 percent are very dissatisfied the way things are going in the nation, 28 percent are somewhat dissatisfied, 28 percent are somewhat satisfied, while just 2 percent are very satisfied.

If there is a silver lining for the president, it’s that the Republican House majority is significantly less popular than he is. Just 19 percent approve of the Republicans in Congress, compared to 72 percent who disapprove; even among Republicans, the House GOP’s approval rating is a dismal 41 to 51 percent. And, unlike President Obama, Congress will have to face re-election in two years.

According to the Quinnipiac poll, Hillary Clinton remains the most popular politician in the country — 61 percent have a favorable view of the former Secretary of State, while just 34 percent view her unfavorably.

Photo credit: AP/Luke Sharrett