For once the “good news” prefix isn’t meant to be sarcastic. It’s actually good news. The two men with the best chances of becoming our nominee are actually polling well against Obama.

Romney holds a slight lead and Santorum is statistically tied. Which is actually a vast improvement for Santorum. Back in late January, Gallup’s poll found him trailing Obama by eight. He’s gained significant ground.

And there’s more good news: 50% of Americans now flat-out describe the Obama presidency as a “failure”. 51% say Obama is too liberal. And Americans say they tend to disagree with him on the issues that matter most.

In another poll (this one from Quinnipiac) 66% of Americans say we remain in a recession. Obama’s approval rating? 45%. A plurality of 49% disapprove. By a 50-45 margin voters say he should be voted out of office.