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Obama campaigned on the theme of ushering in a post-partisan era. By inauguration day, Obama pledged to "end" the "worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics." As of now, though, Barack Obama's public approval rating breaks along stark partisan lines, roughly mimicking George W. Bush and Bill Clinton at the same point in their presidencies.

Obama is still governing in a deeply partisan Washington. Earlier presidents, from Dwight Eisenhower to Jimmy Carter, were able appeal significantly more to the opposing party.
Below are the approval ratings for presidents, by party, during a similar early period in their first term.

Ed. Note: Johnson, Ford and Truman are not included because they took over amid national crisis, boosting them to unusually high approval ratings. There was no Gallup polling during FDR's first term.
There was not Gallup polling during FDR's first term.

Data from Gallup.