Michelle Obama: It's her birthday, and she's still popular

First Lady Michelle Obama meets with Inaugural citizen co-chair David Hall on Jan. 17, 2013, ahead of #MLKDay of Service. / official White House photo

By Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Anthony Salvanto, Fred Backus and Stephanie Condon.

First Lady Michelle Obama rings in her 49th birthday today with a positive public image, a new CBS News/ New York Times poll shows.

Fifty-one percent of Americans hold a favorable opinion of the first lady, according to the poll, conducted January 11-15. Just 13 percent view her unfavorably while a third of Americans are undecided or haven't heard enough about the first lady.

Obama is especially popular with Democrats, while Republicans are more divided in their opinions: 24 percent view her favorably, but 30 percent have an unfavorable opinion of her. The first lady is viewed positively by both men and women, but is more popular with women: 57 percent of women view her favorably compared to 44 percent of men.

In February 2009, shortly after President Obama was sworn into office, Michelle Obama's favorable rating was 49 percent. That number rose to a high of 67 percent in April of that year as Mr. Obama marked his first 100 days in office.

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The first lady's favorability remained mostly in the 40s throughout 2010 and 2011 and spiked up to 61 percent just after the 2012 Democratic National Convention in September.

With Obama preparing to start another four years as first lady, her office today unveiled a new Twitter account for her with the handle @FLOTUS. (FLOTUS is the acronym for "First Lady of the United States")

The Obama campaign runs a separate Twitter account, @MichelleObama, for the first lady. Similarly, the White House and the Obama campaign run separate Twitter accounts for Mr. Obama.

The first message from the first lady's new Twitter account read, "The @FLOTUS Office is now on @twitter & will post updates & pics. When it's her, she'll sign -mo. PS: RT to wish Mrs. Obama a#HappyBirthday."

The White House hasn't said yet how the first family will celebrate the first lady's birthday, but in recent years, the president has taken her out to dinner. Last year, the couple went to a restaurant near the White House called BLT Steak, while in 2011, Mr. Obama took his wife to Wolfgang Puck's The Source restaurant.

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This poll was conducted by telephone from January 11-15, 2013 among 1,110 adults nationwide.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

For full poll results, see below:

[cathyg1234]

Happy Birthday! The new hair style is beautiful and I know you will look GREAT on Inauguration Day.......CONGRA!

[YeahItIsMe]

What can you get a Wookie, when she already owns a comb?

[BWB2020]

Happy Birthday Mrs. Obama, and we wish you the best of health and happiness.

Also consider running for President, we need yet another 8 years of sanity, and it would be really cool if the first "black" president, and the first female president turned out to be husband and wife.

Especially if the wife shows more willingness to oppose the bagger agenda than her husband has.

And if Mr. Obama doesn't approve, dump him, and go solo!

[logictoo]

So many comments on The First Lady's hairstyle. Isn't it obvious that it is not a new hairstyle it is a wigstyle. Changes so often its like she has her own "wiggery".

[gladyrmt]

How nasty......I am glad she can change her hairstyle when sheard pleases. Hooray for her. .
I wish I could do the same;however, I am 82 years old and my hair has thinned so much it is hard for me to get them to fit so they hurt my head.

FRom what I have seen of her I think she is beautiful inside and out.
.

[JoeDirt249]

Im going to go eat a Happy meal, and super size it!

[lindsncal]

Once again, you and those like you opt for going against your own best interests as I'm sure you for the best interests of the country.

[Jesus_to_ground_control]

"Weight" Reduction Executive Plan

Happy birthday Michelle. I wish you another year of success in your endeavors as First Lady of the free world.

Before I leave I would like to share with you a thought about the obesity problem (epidemic) in the United States, one that you hold close at heart. What if we could use your husband's "Gun Violence Reduction Executive Actions" as a common blueprint for the prevention and treatment of all social diseases like alcohol or drug abuse, family violence, violent Medias (TV, movie and video games) for example?

Say hello to Barack for me. You have a beautiful family. I cannot say anything about your new hairdo because I have had a couple of bad experiences with my commenting my wife's hairdos, but I can say that your dresses are off the charts incredible.

P.S. I hope to see you again on TV promoting health issues with comedian Jimmy Fallon, fitness guru Richard Simmons and others.

[littleloiee]

Love Michelle but hate her new hair style. Happy birthday and many more with Barack. You are a class act but why did you let your hair stylist suggest bangs????? Lois from Belmont

[mym82]

I'd think she was okay if she taught her husband how to balance a budget... Alas, they have never lived on one so lets just raise the debt ceiling again and charge the taxpayers. Time to go through the government and change things ourselves!!!!!!! Nice hair though.

[opedanderson2]

Fluff, fluff. Soft, soft.

Oh my gosh, golly, gush gush gush

Good job, CBS

[mollysmop7]

No matter how HARD she tries to change "things" up.....AND...she has spent a FORTUNE of tax-payers money...She STILL looks the same!!!!.