President Obama's job approval rating remains at 51% in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, while the number of people who think the country is headed in the right direction has dropped to 36%.

Obama now has a 51.7% job approval in the RealClearPolitics Average.

The survey (Oct. 22-25, 1009 A, MoE +/- 3.1%), released tonight, shows the mood of the country remains low since its peak in April, when 43% felt the country was on the right track and 61% approved of Obama's job performance. Obama's handling of the economy, foreign policy and health care remain largely unchanged since last month.

On health care, 42% say Obama's health care plan is a bad idea -- 4 points more than say it's a good one -- and 40% believe health care quality will decline as a result, which is twice as high as those who think it will get better. Nearly half think the cost of health care will go up as a result, while just 13% think it will decrease.

Still, more people (45%) think it would be better to pass Obama's plan than for things to remain the same (39%). And nearly half (48%) favor "a public health care plan administered by the federal government that would compete directly with private health insurance companies."

While Congress remains in a fierce fight over how to go about reforming the health care system, two-thirds of the country continues to disapprove of the job the legislative body is doing.

Despite Congress's poor rating, the public doesn't appear to be taking it all out on Democrats, who hold a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and a 79-seat edge in the House. Asked who they would prefer control Congress after the 2010 midterm elections, 46% said Democrats and 38% said Republicans. The 8-point gap is an increase from last month when Democrats led by just 3 points.

However, the anti-incumbent mood remains, as 49% said it's time to give a new person a chance rather than their current representative be re-elected, which 41% said should happen.