Grim tidings for President Obama in the latest USA Today/Gallup poll: His 42 percent approval rating is one percentage point higher than his all-time low over the summer, and (not coincidentally) his 35 percent approval rating on the economy is his lowest yet. 

As we are also privately predicting at parties and to bored friends over lunch, Americans think Republicans will overplay their new House majority. Fifty-five percent believe Republicans will go too far trying to reverse laws passed by Democrats. Forty-three percent worry they won’t go far enough.