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As President Obama hunkers down behind closed doors with his top economic advisers on Friday, the American public is showing frayed nerves, awaiting a sure sign that the economy is on the road to recovery. 

Despite two significant rallies on Wall Street this week, recent polls show Obama still has a lot of convincing to do to rebuild public confidence in both the Dow and his economic agenda. 

A Rasmussen poll earlier this week showed a majority of Americans think the country is at least somewhat likely to enter a Great Depression-type dive in the next few years. 

And while Obama continues to show strong approval ratings, his numbers are slipping in comparison to the popularity of other new presidents, according to a column in Friday's Wall Street Journal by Scott Rasmussen and Democratic pollster Doug Schoen. 

"Mr. Obama has lost virtually all of his Republican support and a good part of his Independent support, and the trend is decidedly negative," they wrote. "The reason for this decline most likely has to do with doubts about the administration's policies and their impact on peoples' lives." 

Perhaps cognizant of the numbers, Obama has started to project a notably less dire financial picture and to urge patience on the part of the public. 

Speaking to a gathering of the nation's corporate chief executives on Thursday, Obama defended his plans for pulling the economy out of a downward spiral, saying his long-term view gives him reason for hope despite an increase in unemployment and falling economic indicators. 

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