If you go by ratings, CNN doesn’t get the ratings that Rush gets in three of the major cities he’s listened to in.

Nevertheless, leave it to them to run another moronic poll of how Americans just adore Colin Powell to Rush Limbaugh or Dick Cheney.

“The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Monday, suggests that 70 percent have a favorable opinion of Powell, who was Secretary of State during President George W. Bush’s first term, and who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Persian Gulf War.

Only 30 percent of those polled have a favorable view of Limbaugh, the popular conservative radio talk show host, with 53 percent saying they hold an unfavorable opinion.

In poll numbers released Thursday, 37 percent say they have a favorable opinion of Dick Cheney, with 55 percent indicating they hold an unfavorable view of the former vice president.

Among Republicans, it’s a different story. The poll suggests that 66 percent of Republicans have a favorable view of Cheney, 64 percent give Powell a thumbs up, and 62 view Limbaugh in a favorable way.

In an appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation, Powell dismissed attacks from Cheney and Limbaugh, saying they are “not members of the membership committee of the Republican Party.”

Not much of a spread once they peel away the liberal/democrat over-sample. Again, Rush is an entertainer and the most listened to radio host in America. He gets 20 million listeners a week – more than CNN gets in three times that much.

But I have to admit these “Rush vs. everyone else” polls are getting hilarious. How about one that views Sean Penn against the Road Runner? Or Alice Cooper against Betty Boop? About as relevant. How in the heck is this news that we can use?

If CNN ever expects to get it’s ratings out of the crapper, they’d better do a better job than this.