Mollie Hemingway, Ed.: Obama Popularity Surging (Among Democrats)

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This morning brings the news that President Obama's popularity is at a 2-year high! Wow! A 2-year high. That's impressive, isn't it? Here's NPR:

"President Barack Obama's approval rating has hit its highest point in two years — 60 percent — and more than half of Americans now say he deserves to be re-elected, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll taken after U.S. forces killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden."

All the media outlets are highlighting this news, since it's so dramatically different from Obama's regular numbers.

Wait, what's that you say? There's a problem with the polling numbers that hasn't been noticed by any of these mainstream media outlets?

What? That sample (which is of "adults" as opposed to any type of voter) skews Democrat by 17 points? Did you say 17 points? Jim Geraghty at The Campaign Spot notes that the AP's immediate preceding poll was 45 percent Democrat, 33 percent Republican. In October, the poll sample was 43 percent Democrat and 40 percent Republican:

 

 With a poll sample that has a 17 percentage point margin in favor of the Democrats, is anyone surprised that these results look like a David Axelrod dream?

It's almost like the Associated Press chose a poll sample in such a way as to ensure unrealistic numbers for President Obama.

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