RASMUSSEN STRAINS CREDULITY: MORE PEOPLE WOULD VOTE FOR RON PAUL THAN LIKE HIM?

The "shocker" result of the new Rasmussen poll looks a tad dubious when you dig into the numbers even a little bit. Here's the big shock:

Election 2012: Barack Obama 42%, Ron Paul 41%

Pit maverick Republican Congressman Ron Paul against President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up, and the race is -- virtually dead even.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters finds Obama with 42% support and Paul with 41% of the vote....

But wait -- what else does this poll say?

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of all voters have a favorable opinion of Paul, while 30% view him unfavorably. This includes 10% with a very favorable opinion and 12% with a very unfavorable one. But nearly one-out-of-three voters (32%) are not sure what they think of Paul.

So 41% would vote for him but only 39% like him? We're supposed to believe that?

I assume the point of this poll isn't to push Ron Paul -- it's to urge Republicans to stick with a teabag/small-government (or at least small-domestic-government) approach as election season approaches. Don't waver! Don't go RINO! And it'll probably work.

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As for that other poll...

Americans are now pretty evenly divided about whether they would rather have Barack Obama or George W. Bush in the White House. 48% prefer Obama while 46% say they would rather have the old President back.

... let me remind you that this is from Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning firm that often turns up a right-wing bias. Remember, these are the folks who thought Doug Hoffman would win by 16 points.

I think Obama's polls are bad these days. I just don't think they're this bad.