I wholeheartedly agree, but the headline implies Perry is the only candidate closest to Obama in the polls. Simply pointing out that fact. Polls do give us a good idea of trends, directions and to some degree, intensity of support for a candidate - which I consider relevant.
Ah, I see your point. You are correct, it is a misleading headline. It also reflects, I believe, that Perry’s national name ID is low, given that Gene Eric Republican has been polling much better than individual candidates.