CNN Senior Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (CNN) - As President Obama navigates his way through a series of issues as controversial as they are vital, he's getting a yellow flag from the American people.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/10/21/obama.poll/art.obama.afp.gi.jpg caption="Support for President Obama's policies has dropped, but his approval rating remains healthy, a new poll finds."]
For the first time since Obama took office, fewer than half of Americans agree with the president on issues important to them, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday. A majority, 51 percent, disagree - a jump of 10 percentage points since April.
Despite the majority disagreement on issues, the poll also found the president's approval rating remains in the healthy mid-50s. And two-thirds of Americans say he has the personal qualities a president should have.
"It's awfully early yet, but this president might be shaping up to be a little like Ronald Reagan, where people actually didn't often agree with Ronald Reagan's ideas, but they loved the guy," said Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist and CNN contributor.
A popular president who is less popular on the issues - Obama could use his personal popularity to rally support for his less popular agenda.