WHERE OBAMA STANDS – AT 8:45 A.M. ET:  A new Washington Post/ABC News poll actually provides better news for Obama than some other recent surveys, but the numbers will still not provide much happiness at the White House.  It's clear that the president must depend primarily on the Republicans nominating a weak, unexciting candidate, something Republicans are adept at doing:

Deepening economic pessimism has pushed down President Obama’s approval rating to a near record low, but he holds an early advantage over prospective 2012 rivals in part because of widespread dissatisfaction with Republican candidates, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

In the survey, 47 percent approve of the job Obama is doing, down seven points since January. Half of all Americans disapprove of his job performance, with 37 percent saying they “strongly disapprove,” nearly matching the worst level of his presidency.

But...

In hypothetical matchups for the general election, the president runs ahead of all seven potential GOP rivals tested in the new poll.

If the election were held now, Romney and Huckabee would mount the stiffest challenges, trailing Obama by four and six percentage points respectively, among all Americans as well as among registered voters.

Obama has double-digit leads over the other five tested — a dozen points against Trump and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), 15 against Newt Gingrich and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and 17 points over Palin.

Despite his current advantage over the Republican field, Obama remains vulnerable with an approval rating again less than 50 percent. A majority of those younger than 40 give the president positive ratings, but most of those 40 and older disapprove.

COMMENT:  The political facts are taking shape:  Obama is not a popular president, but the GOP doesn't have any candidates currently seen by the voters as compelling.

However, an important caveat:  This poll was taken among a sampling of 1,001 "adults."   Such a sampling tends to tilt Democratic.  A more accurate sample would be "registered voters," and a much more accurate sample would be "likely voters."  So, the real numbers for the president are probably worse than the Washington Post/ABC News poll indicates, but it doesn't change the fact that the GOP contenders are not getting widespread applause.

April 19, 2011