Misleading Headline of the Day: 'Obama the most admired man in the world'

It's a poll of Americans as to who they admire most in the world, and it should come as no surprise that Obama is atop the list. The president usually is, or president-elect, in this case.

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.

President Bush falls to a distant second after seven years as the most-admired man.

Hillary Rodham Clinton leads the list of most-admired woman, a spot she's held for 13 of the past 16 years — as first lady, then New York senator and now Obama's designate for secretary of State. A newcomer is second: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who wasn't well-known nationally until Republican presidential candidate John McCain chose her as his running mate in August.

Yet here you have the Telegraph tell us he's the most admired in the world. But it's not a reflection of any kind of worldwide poll. So at the same time, this would make Hillary Clinton the most admired woman, no?

Somehow, I doubt she is. For all I know, some poll will come out and say Obama is the world's favorite. But don't tell us now a poll of strictly Americans where 32% favor Obama reflects the planet's opinion. If there were headlines the past seven years saying Bush was the world's most admired man, I sure missed them.

For example, this time last year it was Bush and Mrs. Clinton, according to this story.

They're the odd couple again: George Bush and Hillary Clinton, the most-admired man and woman in America.

Though on opposite sides of a political divide, the Republican president and the Democratic senator from New York are sharing the honor for a sixth straight year, according to a USA Today-Gallup Poll.

Last year it was most popular in America. All of a sudden now it's the world. How convenient.