Leaders ranked worst of USA

Poll finds Americans conflicted about country

The nation’s original politicians – the Founding Fathers – rank near the top of a list of things Americans say symbolize the best about the USA. The absolute worst? Today’s politicians.

A new USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll about patriotism, pegged to this week’s celebration of the Fourth of July, finds an overwhelming majority of those surveyed say they are proud to be Americans. But they split almost down the middle, 42 percent to 39 percent, when asked whether they are proud of America right now.

This year, a holiday designed as a moment of national unity underscores the country’s deep divisions and the broad dissatisfaction with its government. A long-term trend toward partisanship and the superheated presidency of Donald Trump have sharpened a debate over what defines America and what it means to be patriotic.

“This is a very difficult time,” says Daniel Kugler, 66, a federal worker from Washington, who was among

those polled. He worries about “a slide toward a totalitarian situation” in which Congress and others are afraid to speak up against Trump.

Tracy Lish, 54, a truck driver from Pocatello, Idaho, says the threat is from liberals. “They’ve twisted American values,” she says. “A lot of them are antiGod, anti-religion and anti-military.”

In the survey, most say they are proud to be Americans, although Republicans feel that way more strongly (90 percent) than Democrats (61 percent). There is no consensus when asked about the country’s course: 71 percent of Republicans but just 22 percent of Democrats said they are proud of America right now.

The survey is one of a year-long series on American values.

On immigration and other issues, there is tension between competing American values. “Having secure borders” gets a relatively high mean rating of 4.8 on a scale of one to seven. One is the worst; seven the best. “Welcoming immigrants and refugees” has a rating that was only a bit lower, at 4.3.

Republicans are more likely to rate secure borders as a strong value; Democrats are more likely to rate welcoming immigrants and refugees as a strong value.

“There’s always been immigrants; that’s what this country is,” says Kimberly Bainter, 29, of Norfolk, Virginia. The United States has become “less welcoming” than it used to be, says Harry Bridgen, 56, a band manager from Studio City, California. “How scared and alone these children must feel.”

Hundreds of thousands of people rallied across the country Saturday to protest the immigration policy that resulted in more than 2,000 children being separated from their parents at the U.S.Mexican border.

In the poll:

❚ Republicans agree 3-1 that “America needs a strong leader willing to break the rules.” Democrats disagree with that statement more than 2-1.

❚ Democrats agree 20-1 that “the American economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful.” Republicans narrowly agree.

❚ Republicans agree by 20-1 that “the mainstream media is more interested in making money than telling the truth.” Democrats also agree with the statement, though by a narrower 5-3.

❚ Majorities of those in both parties and independents agree “traditional parties and politicians don’t care about people like me.” That includes twothirds of Republicans even though the GOP controls the White House and both houses of Congress.

Asked what symbolizes the worst of America, “politicians” leads the field. That sentiment crosses party lines, although there is a predictable partisan divide about the standing of individual politicians. Democrats rate Trump as symbolizing the worst single thing about America; Republicans say he represents one of the better things about the country. Republicans rate House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi among the worst; Democrats rank her about in the middle.

Among the five elected officials on the list, the one who receives the highest overall ranking for symbolizing what is best about America is Arizona Sen. John McCain, a six-term senator and former Vietnam War POW battling brain cancer. He is a Republican but received a slightly higher rating from Democrats than from those in the GOP.

Respect for those in the armed forces crosses party lines.

“People who serve in the military to me are the epitome of patriotism,” says Beth Blumental, 63, of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, a Trump critic. Tracy Lish, a Trump defender, uses similar words. “Anybody serving our country, they’re true patriots,” she says.

Bridgen sees patriotism in protest. “I think that anyone willing to stand up for what’s right and trying to make changes to improve things is a patriot,” he says.

The most highly regarded profession are nurses, followed closely by school teachers.

The most highly regarded national value is kindness to strangers, followed by speaking English and believing in God. The value rated as symbolizing the worst about America is political correctness.

There is bipartisan agreement on this: The news these days is exhausting. Across party lines, roughly seven in 10 agree with the statement, “I feel fatigued watching the news.”

“I don’t know if tired is the right word, but fed up,” says Beth Blumenthal, a retired educator.

Happy Fourth.