The latest CNN poll came out, and there’s the usual news. There’s a new low for Bush in the poll at 32%. There’s also a new low for support of the war in Iraq at 30%. But the most startling thing is that 4% number, alluded to in the title:

Asked during the latest poll how things are going for the United States in Iraq, more than two-thirds (69 percent) said badly — 4 percent said “very well,” 26 percent said “moderately well,” 25 percent said “moderately badly” and 44 percent said “very badly.”

There appears to be little optimism that things will improve, with 17 percent saying the situation is getting better; 46 percent saying it is getting worse; 35 percent saying it is staying the same; and 1 percent offering no opinion.

So what explains that? Are all four percent of those people delusional such that they think Dick Cheney is their father, and therefore they must think things are going well in Iraq to please Daddy? Perhaps they’re also all named “Luke” or something. Frankly, I’m amazed that the pollsters left that option in the question. How could they imagine an identifiable portion of people would say that America is doing “very well” in Iraq?

But polls show interesting and useful things sometimes, and there’s another poll that has me smiling this morning. A New York Times/CBS News/MTV poll is showing young people to be more liberal than the general public on lots of issues. These kids favor more open immigration, gay marriage and universal healthcare, for starters. And they only identify Obama and Clinton among the nation’s Presidential candidates. From the New York Times:

By a 52 to 36 majority, young Americans say that Democrats, rather than Republicans, come closer to sharing their moral values, while 58 percent said they had a favorable view of the Democratic Party, and 38 percent said they had a favorable view of Republicans.

Asked if they were enthusiastic about any of the candidates running for president, 18 percent named Mr. Obama, of Illinois, and 17 percent named Mrs. Clinton, of New York. Those two were followed by Rudolph W. Giuliani, a Republican, who was named by just 4 percent of the respondents.

The survey also found that 42 percent of young Americans thought it was likely or very likely that the nation would reinstate a military draft over the next few years — and two-thirds said they thought the Republican Party was more likely to do so. And 87 percent of respondents said they opposed a draft.

I’ve noted it here for a long time that young people are the answer to many issues such as the improved civil rights for gay and lesbian Americans. But I’m more than surprised and pleased that they are also lining up on issues of immigration and healthcare. More encouraging still is the lack of recognition of Republican candidates. They couldn’t even identify McCain? But he’s such a happenin’ guy! And they’re ignoring the “Ken doll,” Mitt Romney? Hmm, the Republican supporters of Fred Thompson may be right, that his name recognition is the only thing that can save them this time around.