My favorite thing about presidential elections nowadays that they don't just happen every four years anymore. They are now a continuously grating, never-ending drone. Like Chris Matthews.

The Republican primaries for 2012 began — as you all know — on November 5th, 2009, and at the time things didn't look too stellar for Mitt Romney. But, according to a new poll, things may be looking up…

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has seen his favorability ratings improve and now enjoys a positive balance of opinion among the general public: 40% rate him favorably, 28% unfavorably.

This marks a reversal of opinion from February 2008, during the latter stages of the GOP primary campaign, when just 30% viewed him favorably and 44% expressed an unfavorable opinion.

This isn't really all that surprising. Reversals of opinion are one of Romney's specialties.

He still, however, has a ways to go before he'll be able to catch up to how much people love Sarah Palin. And a ways to go before he'll be able to catch up to how much people hate Sarah Palin…

Palin continues to be divisive figure among the general public, with about as many saying they have an unfavorable impression (44%) as a favorable view (45%) of the Alaska governor.

But, people aside, what about Republicans?

Among Republicans, however, the balance of opinion about Palin is more positive than it is regarding Romney or other leading GOP figures, Newt Gingrich and Michael Steele. More than seven-in-ten Republicans (73%) express a favorable opinion of Palin while just 17% have an unfavorable opinion… And Palin continues to be overwhelmingly popular with key parts of the GOP base – white evangelical Republicans (84% favorable) and conservative Republicans (80% favorable).

Wow. That's closing in on the 91.6% approval rating Jesus had amongst His apostles.

(I wonder who Palin's Judases are.)