A majority of Americans rates Obama “about the same” or “worse” than his predecessor, George W. Bush, according to a new Gallup poll

When a random sample of 1004 adults were asked to compare the 43rd and 44th presidents, 34% of respondents said that Obama had been a worse president than Bush, while 22% said he was about the same. Predictably, Democrats were most supportive of Obama, while Republicans favored Bush in the poll. The response from independent voters might be most telling for Obama: a troublesome 67% said that they considered him about the same or worse than Bush. The findings underscore the challenges that Obama faces in his bid for a second term, with many voters dissatisfied with the direction of the country and their own economic situations.