A couple weeks ago, two of the nation’s most respected polls caused quite a kerfuffle.

It started with the ABC/Washington Post poll, which found President Obama’s approval rating tumbling from 50 percent approval, 46 percent disapproval in early February to a mirror-image 46 percent approval, 50 percent disapproval in mid-March.

Publishing the same day, the CBS/New York Times poll appeared to corroborate its competitor’s findings as the president’s approval rating had dropped from 50 percent approve, 43 percent disapprove to 41 percent approve, 47 percent disapprove in its data. The Times reported, “At a time of rising gas prices, heightened talk of war with Iran and setbacks in Afghanistan, Mr. Obama’s approval rating dropped substantially in recent weeks.”

Thousands of words were written explaining the president’s somewhat mysterious decline. Some ascribed it to gas prices, others to GOP criticism. Still others complained about the White House message. “President Obama’s approval rating has taken a hit in a new poll that shows a growing frustration with the president’s handling of the economy,” opined the Los Angeles Times. “The