Craptastic. In all fairness, many of Obama’s own active supporters aren’t sure what he’s done or what he stands for. What’s the likeliness that a Republican paying half-as-much attention is filled-in on him?

Republicans like Sen. Barack Obama nearly as much as they like their own likely presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, according to a new Fox 5/The Washington Times/Rasmussen Reports poll.

The survey determined that a quarter of self-identified Republicans rated Mr. McCain most likable, but nearly as many — 23 percent — chose Mr. Obama as most likable. And among all adults surveyed, Mr. Obama was rated likable by more people than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mr. McCain combined, underscoring the Illinois senator’s appeal to voters across the political spectrum.

“There is something about Barack Obama that is hard to capture in polling and it’s an enthusiasm, it’s a freshness, it’s an excitement he can generate that will certainly be a factor in the campaign,” said pollster Scott Rasmussen.

“It’s platitudes, empty promises, and non-descript speeches,” Brennan of The American Pundit Institute of Political Studies was quoted as saying.

As for those pointless things called “issues”:

By contrast, likability has never been Mr. McCain’s strong suit — even long-shot Republican candidate Mike Huckabee was rated more likable in the poll, both among all adults and Republicans specifically. Mr. McCain instead is betting on his national-security credentials, and there the survey shows him topping both Democrats combined.

Mr. McCain led with 39 percent to Mr. Obama’s 17 percent and Mrs. Clinton’s 19 percent when those surveyed were asked who “will be the toughest on matters of national security.” Even among self-identified Democrats, Mr. McCain fared decently with one in five rating him toughest.

The question is whether or not McCain can make silly things like “national security” and “taxes” important, while our American Idol electorate is enjoying the empty, non-descript suit that is Barack Obama.