The Art Of Subtlety

I was reading an article in the Washington Post entitled, A First Lady Who Demands Substance, about Michelle Obama and how she is trying to craft a more important role for herself within the White House.  And while that premise alone is a bit disturbing (nobody elected Michelle Obama) it was a throw away phrase by the writer that stood out to me.  Lois Romano wrote:

Although Obama’s job-approval ratings have soared, the first lady — a Harvard-educated lawyer — wasn’t satisfied with coasting. She is hiring a full-time speechwriter and has instructed her staff to think “strategically” so that every event has a purpose and a message. She doesn’t want to simply go to events and hug struggling military families, she said; she wants to show progress.

Did you catch it, like I did?

Although Obama’s job-approval ratings have soared…

Since this did not sound remotely like what I have been reading anywhere, I thought I would check it out.  I went to Real Clear Politics to check their poll average, as well as to find the individual poll data.

The RCP average shows only slight decline in the cumulative total from about 65% to 60%, but the disapproval index moved from 20% to nearly 35%.  The individual poll data follows the same structure but with differing levels… Rasmussen obviously shows larger swings from both ends, while other polls such as ABC News/Wash Post show less fall from the top, but do register the upswing in the disapproval column.

Regardless of which poll you follow or place more confidence in, there is NO WAY to interpret it as soaring… even using the poll from the writer’s own newspaper.  This isn’t breaking news, I mean after all this was a small piece about the first lady wanting more to do then hug people, not some editorial on where the political parties stand in the public eye.  But it is indicative of the culture in media of saying what you want to believe, and what you hope others will believe… and I have to think it is purposeful.