ABC News, please define “gathers steam”

As in this recent headline [emphasis added]:

Tea Party Opposition Brews Over an Emboldened President Obama: Sarah Palin Gathers Steam as the White House Moves Forward on its Checklist

Elsewhere online, this is how the same story was advertised:

Palin: Love Her or Hate Her, She's Here to Stay: Sarah Palin gathers steam as the White House moves forward on its checklist.

So yeah, Palin's on a roll, according to ABC News, which is a bit odd, because ABC has to acknowledge this fact:

While Palin may be popular with the Tea Party set, she has yet to cast herself as a leader among Americans. In an ABC News/Washington Post poll, 55 percent of Americans said they view her unfavorably, while only 37 percent have a favorable opinion of her.

Yes, that's Palin's worst showing in that poll in nearly 18 months. And yes, I'm guessing Palin is the only politician in America who can land dreadful polling numbers like that and, in the same breath, be described in the press as gathering steam.