Admirable Obama

Remember when some people - mostly Mark Penn - tried to argue that Barack Obama wasn't electable?

Yeah. Neither do I.

WASHINGTON — A month before his inauguration, Americans choose Barack Obama as the man they admire most in the world, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. It's the first time a president-elect has topped the annual survey in more than a half-century.

This poll comes on the heels of a CNN survey showing Obama with an unbelievable 82 percent approval rating. A black president! And he's popular! Who could have ever dreamed of such a thing?

Of course, Obama hasn't actually taken office yet. I suspect those numbers will come down in the coming months, especially as our economy worsens and he actually starts governing. But with the GOP poised to mount mostly token opposition, they might want to remember that Obama seems to have a deep reservoir of support out there.

On a more personal note, my father - once something of a health nut - told me the other day that he's got yet another reason to admire our historically popular president-elect. Namely, Obama's widely-praised abs.

UPDATE: You remember that we have a popular president-elect, right? Well, sometimes it's shocking how stupid the GOP can be. Beyond stupid, in fact. If they keep this sort of stuff up, they're going to go the way of the Dixiecrats.

UPDATE 2: Via Ezra Klein, we learn that Obama hit the gym for 48 straight days, at about 90 minutes per session, until taking off for Christmas. No doubt, those abs are not a mistake. He's a virtual Ironman. It reminds me that I need to renew my dedication to exercise. Like, now.