Poll: President Obama still by far the most popular national politician

For all the talk, saber rattling, obstruction and fervent peddling of alternate realities Republicans have engaged in since President Obama took office, one might think they'd be doing a little better in the polls, even if by merely playing the role of a lesser of two evils in the eyes of the masses.

Not quite.

President Obama is still by far the most national politician in the United States, according to a new CNN poll [PDF link] which stacked leading Republicans against the president and asked who respondents would vote for in 2012.

"The poll shows Obama topping Romney 53 percent to 45 percent, beating Huckabee 54 percent to 45 percent, defeating Gingrich 55 percent to 43 percent and topping Palin 55 percent to 42," the network reported.

CNN's survey also claims that half of Americans see Sarah Palin as "honest and trustworthy," although a full 69 percent do not believe she is qualified to be president.

The poll also sampled Republicans' leanings on who to run against Obama and found conservatives strongly divided. Overall, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee came out on top with 24 percent. Twenty percent favored former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in second place and trailing him at 15 percent was Sarah Palin. Texas Congressman Ron Paul placed fifth on the survey with eight percent.

The news is certain to cheer the White House, which has seen declining approval ratings ever since Obama took office. In a Real Clear Politics sampling of all the major polls, Obama scored overall just 46.1 percent: a fact that, in the context of his standing with the opposition's top personalities, should speak volumes about the political mood in America.