Trust us, it wasn't even close.

Even if this is a day old, it's still worth pondering, simply because it provides a glimpse into the crumbling GOP Noise Machine and the lengths it will go to prop up anti-Obama memes.

According to the Times editorial, Obama job approval ratings are “in the basement.” He's wildly unpopular as he hits his 100 day mark. Not only unpopular, but Obama's historically unpopular. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't read it with my own eyes:

At the 100-day mark of his presidency, Mr. Obama is the second-least-popular president in 40 years.

No, really. And look, the Times (sorta) provided polling data to back up its Alice-in-Wonderland claim:

According to Gallup's April survey, Americans have a lower approval of Mr. Obama at this point than all but one president since Gallup began tracking this in 1969.

Which is odd because here's what MSNBC.com reported just days ago, using Gallup's own data [emphasis added]:

As we approach President Obama's official 100th day in office, his approval rating in the Gallup poll is average compared with past American presidents -- or is it?

Going back to Eisenhower, Obama's 65% approval rating in the most recent daily Gallup poll is equal to the average Gallup approval for the 10 preceding presidents. Kennedy and Johnson had approval ratings in the low 80s at their 100-day mark. President Ford, in the wake of Watergate and the pardon of President Nixon, had the lowest approval rating at 48%.

But when we look only at presidents in the past 40 years, Obama is near the top. His approval is 7-10 points higher than the approvals of the last three presidents.

Here's the Gallup graphic MSNBC printed online:

Presidents	Approval %
Eisenhower	73%
Kennedy	83
Johnson	80
Nixon	62
Ford	48
Carter	63
Reagan	68
H.W. Bush	56
Clinton	55
W. Bush	57.5
Avg	65%

Compared to previous presidents at the 100 day mark, Obama is more popular than Bush, Clinton, and Bush. Only Reagan polled better, and that was right after he survived an assassination attempt in March of his first year in office. So if you set aside Reagan's rather extraordinary circumstances, Obama is more popular at the 100 day mark than any president since Lyndon Johnson.

Except, that is, inside the Washington Times newsroom, where it's been decreed that Obama is one of our least popular new presidents. (What a relief for the GOP!)

FYI, click here for Gallup's daily tracking poll results for Obama's rolling approval rating. He hasn't been below 59 percent since Inauguration Day. And as of Tuesday, Obama's daily measured approval ratings stood at 63 percent.

Also keep in mind that in mid-April, Gallup released the polling data for Obama's approval rating for his first full quarter in office:

President Barack Obama averages a 63% approval rating for his first quarter in office -- the highest since President Jimmy Carter averaged 69% in 1977.

Reality, 1

Washington Times, 0

UPDATE: Murdoch's NYPost, lilke WashTimes, does its best to rally the dispirited GOP troops with priceless “100 Days, 100 Mistakes” feature.

UPDATE: More assuring voices, courtesy of Dick Morris: Obama's support is about to crater.