I was researching the Shore Bank of Chicago for an aunt of mine recently (there appears to be a potential scandal there) because she no longer trusts Snopes for getting to the truth about anything Obama (indeed, if you search for any Obama story that may be true or is true, you do not find it at Snopes, but you do find it at Truth or Fiction).
As I was checking out an email she had been sent (the always circulating ones that we all get from our relatives and friends), my wife asked me what I was doing. So I told her - and commented that "Aunt B sure hates Obama".
Her comeback kind of surprised me - "In another 2 years everyone will". This from a lady who hated Bush with a passion (she lived in Texas during his tenure there). And voted for Obama for mainly that reason! (and no, she did not "cancel" my vote as I have already made it clear I did not vote for McCain).
I have stated before that I do not trust the polls that show Obama's popularity. Some call it the Bradley effect (Given my residency, I call it the Wilder Effect). I believe that many who say they support Obama do so just so they will not be called racists. After the incessant labeling of everyone who disagrees with ANYTHING that Obama does over the past 4 years (it started during the primaries) as racists, I can sympathize with them. Not go along with them, but understand the desire to just live and let live.
Clinton did a lot of things that were unpopular in his first 2 years in office, but the polls did not even hint at the defeat the democrats suffered in 94. This year the polls are showing a bad year for the democrats - actually showing that they will lose one house of congress. So the anger this year appears to be greater than in 94, yet Obama remains relatively immune from the anger - or so the polls say.
I think many that "approve" of Obama are like my wife. They are apolitical, and very disappointed. But they just do not tell pollsters that.