PRINCETON, NJ — Registered voters are about evenly divided over whether President Barack Obama is deserving of a second term in office. Currently, 46% say he deserves re-election and 50% say he does not. Predictably, Democrats are one-sided for Obama’s re-election and Republicans are one-sided against it, while independents lean against a second Obama term.

The 46% who say Obama deserves re-election is similar to his recent job approval ratings, which have been running just under 50%. The current results also echo what Gallup found recently when it asked voters whether they would be more likely to vote for Obama or the Republican candidate in the 2012 presidential election.

Gallup has asked the public whether other recent presidents deserved re-election, and the results suggest that the question is not highly predictive this far out from a president’s re-election bid. For example, in late April/early May 2002, 69% of registered voters said George W. Bush deserved re-election. At that time, Bush’s job approval rating was 77% as he was still enjoying the post-9/11 rally. Bush did win re-election in 2004, although in a close contest with John Kerry.