Now that’s a poll to pay attention to…

As a general rule polls are a snapshot in time, informative to the degree that they aren’t manipulated to get a desired result. You learn much more from trends that from an individual poll.

In theory this isn’t a poll, but if it was it speaks volumes:

White House Communications Office internal memo dated February 22 noted “a major issue with the Commencement Challenge.”

“As of yesterday we had received 14 applications and the deadline is Friday,” the memo said. The memo also urged recipients to, “please keep the application number close hold.”

A follow-up memo on February 28 reported receipt of 68 applications. Noting the competition among more than 1,000 schools last year, the memo said, “Something isn’t working.” It called on staffers to ask “friendly congressional, gubernatorial and mayoral offices” to encourage schools to apply.

Think about it, In just one year the number of schools that would like Obama to speak at their high school graduation has dropped by more that 93%. You would think that any high school would want a president to speak at it.

Ah DaTechGuy, it’s because of Racism. Has to be right? Tell me, I’m not an expect but I’d be shocked if there were not 68 majority black high schools in New York City alone.

Allah Pundit actually has sympathy:

Is there any sadder testament to the fading magic of Hopenchange than this? Reading it, I actually felt sorry for the guy.

I can’t manage that, this whole business show he’s kinda vain. I bet he thinks this job is about him.

The emperor here has no clothes and hasn’t for a while. The media keeps portraying him as unbeatable in 2012, I’ve been wondering why people buy this line. If you have to hustle to get high schools to invite you, if you have to send out friendly congresspeople to ask people to invite you then you aren’t all that popular.

Ride right through them, they’re demoralized as hell!

Update: Via Glenn Byron York remembers history:

“Will anybody run against George Bush in 1992?” asked Juan Williams in the Washington Post on March 10, 1991. “There are no candidate footprints in the pristine snows of New Hampshire this winter and the Iowa cornfields are untrampled.”

March passed, and then April, May, June, and July, and still Democrats searched for candidates willing to challenge Bush. One by one, the big names — Al Gore, Dick Gephardt, Mario Cuomo — decided not to run. Bush was just too strong.

The Democratic field that finally emerged seemed decidedly lackluster: Jerry Brown, Paul Tsongas, Bob Kerrey, Bill Clinton, Douglas Wilder and Tom Harkin. After an undistinguished primary season, one of them would be the sacrificial lamb to run against Bush.

Today, 20 years later, there’s no need to elaborate on how it turned out. All you have to say is that the prize went to the candidate who took a risk when others shied away

Exactly.