WASHINGTON: Barack Obama has attained extraordinarily high levels of public approval, according to opinion polls released on Sunday.

A survey conducted by The New York Times found a US public eager to give the president-elect a wide berth as he attempts to turn around a faltering US economy, tackle global warming, help solve the intractable Middle East peace process, along with a plethora of other mammoth challenges.

Of those surveyed, 79 per cent were optimistic about the next four years under Obama, the highest level of goodwill attained by any of the past five incoming presidents.

By contrast, outgoing President George W. Bush is leaving office with just 22 per cent of Americans offering a favourable view of how he handled the eight years of his presidency, according to the poll – a record low.

Meanwhile, CNN television polled 1,245 adult Americans and found that 84 per cent of respondents approve of how Obama is handling his presidential transition.—AFP