Americans are deeply dissatisfied with how America’s political leaders typically invoke patriotism. According to our recent poll, the U.S. public shows a strong desire for a new vision of patriotism that features more emphasis on the future, constructive change, and progressive civic values.
The poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, also reveals opinions on the 2008 presidential candidates. While Senator John McCain is currently regarded as significantly more patriotic than Senator Barack Obama, Obama actually wins a hypothetical patriotism-centered debate with McCain, if Obama frames his agenda within a narrative of patriotism centered on progressive values.
Key findings include:
- 76 percent of respondents believe that political leaders “invoke patriotism in a cheap and empty way.”
- The single most negative thing Americans feel about patriotism is that “politicians often exploit it to manipulate the public.”
- By a 20-point margin, 58 to 38 percent, respondents believe patriotism should be more about “actively improving” America than simply honoring its past.
- Although more Americans rate Sen. McCain as patriotic (74 percent) than Sen. Obama (56 percent), when Obama frames his idea of patriotism in terms that call on America to live up to its ideals and promise, respondents prefer his patriotism-centered argument over McCain’s more traditional patriotic framing by 11 points – and that represents a widening of the Obama’s current 8-point, 47-39 percent lead in a ballot test, with significant movement among independent voters. These findings signal both challenges and opportunities for Obama.
This poll shows that progressives should view patriotism not as a vulnerability, but as a powerful magnet. Properly framed, progressive patriotism pulls voters in.
The survey indicates Americans are frustrated with the divisive and manipulative brand of patriotism that has dominated politics in recent years. They are looking, instead, for a more constructive and future-oriented vision of patriotism, rooted in ideas of constructive change and progressive civic values such as stewardship, fair play, service to others, and shared responsibility for the common good.
These results suggest that progressives have an opportunity to reclaim the national dialogue over patriotism. After many years during which conservatives used patriotic language and symbols to put progressives on the defensive – and at a time when overwhelming majorities feel the country has gotten off track and is in need of change – the new findings suggest the public is ready to hear progressive leaders talk about their own agendas as an expression of their patriotic values. Indeed, the survey indicates that when properly framed, patriotism can be a compelling and affirmative asset for progressives.
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