A new Gallup poll reveals that Barack Obama’s efforts to diminish pride among Americans in their heritage have resonated among Americans.
The poll, conducted from June 2-7, showed only 54% of respondents agreeing that they were “extremely proud” to be Americans, the lowest percentage in the 15 years Gallup has asked the question. In 2001, before the 9/11 attacks, the percentage rested at 55%, rising to 70% by 2003, but the percentage has vacillated between 58% and the current 54% ever since Barack Obama took office.
Twenty-seven percent of respondents claimed they were “very proud,” 14% only felt “moderately proud,” 45 asserted they were “only a little proud” and 1% boasted they were “not at all proud.”
Predictably, the percentage of Republicans who asserted they were “extremely proud” to be Americans was much higher than Democrats’; 67% of GOP adherents loved America deeply, while less than half of Democrats, a disappointing 47%, felt extremely proud of their country.
In another non-surprise, the older Americans were, the more likely they were to feel extremely proud of their country; 64% of those over 65 felt that way; 58% of those aged 50-64; 52.5% of the 30-49 age group, and only 43% of youngsters ages 18-29.
Yankees may rip the South for the Confederate flag, but there is little doubt the South loves America more; 61% of respondents hailing from that region felt extremely proud to be Americans; as opposed to the Midwest (55%), East (50%), and West (46%).
Obama has slammed the U.S. more than once: asserting at the U.N., “I realize that America’s critics will be quick to point out that at times we too have failed to live up to our ideals; that America has plenty of problems within our own borders. This is true.”
Obama informed the Malaysian prime minister last year that America also had issues with civil liberties and human rights, saying, “The prime minister is the first to acknowledge that Malaysia has still got some work to do on these issues, just like the United States, by the way, has some work to do.”
The president slammed Americans for being lazy in 2011, and of course, calling America a racist country, telling the Black Entertainment Network in 2014, “This is something that is deeply rooted in our society, it’s deeply rooted in our history. When you’re dealing with something as deeply rooted as racism or bias … you’ve got to have vigilance but you have to recognize that it’s going to take some time, and you just have to be steady so you don’t give up when we don’t get all the way there.”