Alternate Politico headline: Poll shows Obama would easily defeat Palin

But for some reason that's not the headline for Politico. Instead, it goes with this:

Poll: Rocky road seen ahead for Obama

And let's face it, that headline is much more narrative-friendly inside the Beltway today.

The fact that Politico stresses its new polls indicates “a significant majority of voters are considering voting against” Obama when pitted a against a nameless opponent, whereas the same poll shows he'd waltz to a double-digit victory over Palin, pretty much tells you all you need to know about how the press likes to play with Obama polling stories.

And FYI, Politico did not poll a single Republican candidate who would defeat Obama in 2012. And no, there's not a single Republican candidate who matches Obama's favorable rating. But yes, this is all very bad news for Obama in 2012.