Here's what National Journal is touting today:

Majority Would Vote Against Obama

And the details [emphasis added]:

A year into his tenure, a majority of Americans would already vote against Pres. Obama if the '12 elections were held today, according to a new survey.

The Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll shows 50% say they would probably or definitely vote for someone else. Fully 37% say they would definitely cast a ballot against Obama. Meanwhile, just 39% would vote to re-elect the pres. to a 2nd term, and only 23% say they definitely would do so.

I don't think you have to be a polling scholar to understand how relatively useless a poll featuring a generic match-up for an election that's almost three years off really is, but apparently National Journal thinks that kind of polling question is revealing. (Either that, or National Journal thinks that kind of poll will generate 'buzz.')

Perhaps what would be revealing is if National Journal did a poll and inserted the name “Sarah Palin” into the slot of “someone else.” Or “Newt Gingrich.” Or “Tim Pawlenty.” The point being that elections are between two candidates, not an incumbent vs. “someone else.” Unless voters know who the “someone else” is, the results are pretty pointless.