President Obama received an unexpected Christmas present Tuesday when the results of the latest Gallup poll were released.  For the first time since July, more of those polled approved of the president’s job performance than disapproved.

According to Gallup, 47 percent of pollsters believed President Obama is doing a good job, as opposed to 45 percent who believed he is doing a poor job.  The nationwide poll had a +/- 3 percent margin of error.

The poll was conducted between Dec. 21 and 23 as Congress was working on an agreement to extend to the payroll tax cuts.

According to CBS News, the president’s disapproval rating has hovered around or over 50 percent since July. 

If current polling is accurate, President Obama is in for a tough re-election fight.  USA Today reports traditionally an incumbent president is reelected if his approval rate in more than 48 percent.  Harry Truman is the only incumbent since World War II to win reelection with an approval rate below 48 percent.  Truman’s approval rate was 40 percent.

The election is still 11 months away and it is unclear who the Republican candidate will be.  Polling suggests President Obama will have a better chance of re-election if Newt Gingrich is the GOP nominee.  If Mitt Romney is the nominee, President Obama may be relegated to one term.