Well-Regarded Mitt Romney Still Not Quite As Beloved As George W. Bush

 
 If there's one thing Mitt Romney has done right in this campaign, it's make people like him! His national tour, in which he's exposed millions of Americans to his easygoing demeanor and warm personality, has won him lots of friends on the campaign trail. The numbers prove it! A recent Bloomberg survey revealed that a full 43 percent of Americans have a positive view of Mitt Romney, against only 50 percent who don't. This puts Romney only 3 percentage points away from America's most beloved president, George W. Bush!

Yes, a full 46 percent of Americans apparently have fond memories of George W. Bush, though it's likely that most of these people are political comedy writers who miss the endless stream of easy jokes. But is there evidence that some of the data from this poll might be just complete gibbering nonsense -- not because of any error in methodology, but just because the people polled (i.e., ordinary Americans) are kind of dumb? Here, chew on these numbers :

Obama heads into the closing stretch of the race with a majority of Americans -- 53 percent -- disapproving of his handling of the economy, and Romney holding a slim edge as the candidate likely voters rate best able to create jobs. The president does have one clear advantage -- his economic plan is breaking through with more Americans, who give him a 48 percent to 39 percent advantage over Romney on having a vision for a successful future.

"I think Mitt Romney would be better at creating jobs. Also, I think Obama has a better economic plan for a successful future. I just like saying things on the phone. I'm so lonely! Please don't hang up."

An additional sign of the poll's flaws: it claims only 42 percent of Americans have a positive view of Joe Biden, when he's already hugged twice that many . Also, Bill Clinton's approval rating is listed as 64 percent, when it should probably be at about 130 percent. [ Bloomberg / Raw poll data ]