They just don't like Mitt Romney

Why don't they like me? (Reuters) It's hard to overestimate just how unpopular Mitt Romney is.

Romney's overall favorable/unfavorable score remains a net negative ' a trait no other modern presumptive GOP presidential nominee (whether Bob Dole, George W. Bush or John McCain) has shared.

Romney is at favorable 35, unfavorable 40. Neither Bob Dole nor John McCain were beloved, and of course Bush had pretty crappy numbers in 2004 (which is why John Kerry led him through the summer as voters flirted with the alternative).

But the fact is that none of those three candidates were ever anywhere near as unliked as Romney. Amazing.

Of course, neither Dole, nor McCain, nor Bush mocked voters for their choice of rain gear, or insulted their cookies, or bragged about all the sports owners they hung out with. In other words, they knew how to be human. In politics, that's a helpful trait.

Now NBC is very specific that this was the first modern Republican candidate in their polling to have a net-negative favorability rating. So that suggests a Democrat has been there before, I'd guess Walter Mondale and probably Jimmy Carter. I decided to look up John Kerry's numbers, since I assumed he would've also been underwater.

It turns out that Kerry, according to NBC polling, never had a net-negative favorability rating. At this point eight years ago, he was 42/35. Even after his September 2004 Swiftboating, he stayed above water 43/42, and was 44/43 right before the election.

For all the comparisons with 2004, that's one big difference'Kerry was far better liked than Mitt Romney. And Kerry wasn't exactly beloved.

Republicans are putting together quite the ticket'the least beloved Republican ever, alongside the most boring white guy they can find.

Can you feel the excitement?