FOX News Poll: America's Best Days Are Ahead; Obama Approval Remains Steady

Majorities of Americans think the country's best days are ahead, and approve of the job President Obama is doing. Voters also think it is time for the Obama administration to stop blaming the Bush administration for mistakes and start taking responsibility. These are just some of the findings from a FOX News poll released Thursday.

Some 57 percent of Americans think the country's best days are ahead, while 33 percent say the best days are in the past.

Democrats are 27 percentage points more likely than Republicans to say the country's best days are ahead (69 percent versus 42 percent). Nearly half of Republicans (49 percent) think they are behind us.

Click here to see the full poll results.

Younger Americans and those living in higher income households are only slightly more inclined to say the best days are ahead.

Many Americans say they are personally happy in their life: 56 percent say they are "very happy" or "happy," down from 68 percent who said so eight years ago (April 18-19, 2001).

Among groups, more women (60 percent) are happy than men (52 percent), and people living in higher income households (65 percent) are more likely to say they are happy than those in lower income households (47 percent).

When asked if most Americans are happy today, hardly anyone -- just 2 percent -- think their fellow Americans are "very happy" and another 15 percent think they are "happy," while 53 percent say most are "only somewhat happy."

Some 27 percent of Americans think people across the country are "not really happy at all," more than double the 11 percent who said so when the question was last asked (April 18-19, 2001).

In April 2001, at about this same point in former President George W. Bush's first term, more people thought their fellow countrymen were happy. At that time, 6 percent said most Americans were "very happy," and another 32 percent "happy." Some 47 percent said most Americans were "only somewhat happy."

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from May 12 to May 13. The poll has a 3-point error margin.

Obama Approval Remains Steady, Should Take More Responsibility
President Obama's job rating remains fairly steady this week as 60 percent of Americans say they approve of the job he is doing and 30 percent disapprove. Last month, 62 percent approved and 29 percent disapproved.

The large partisan divide on Obama's performance continues: 93 percent of Democrats approve compared to 23 percent of Republicans. For independents, 57 percent approve.

By more than 3-to-1 Americans think it is time for the Obama administration to start taking responsibility (64 percent) instead of continuing to blame the Bush administration for mistakes (21 percent).

Muzzle Bo or Joe?
Vice President Biden is known for his frequent groan-provoking gaffes. The poll hints at a possible solution for the White House. When asked who would get a muzzle first -- Biden or the Obama's new dog Bo -- by 45 percent to 28 percent Americans think it will be Biden.