# Why are Republicans generally more patriotic than Democrats? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 19, 2017, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627 "2017-07-19T05:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/161 "2017-07-20T04:04:45Z")
Republicans have given capital “P” patriotism a bad name. Kind of like Obamacare, where the components are more popular when asked about individually. Democrats love their country but remember the biblical line about love not being boastful or arrogant. The next time someone tells you they are extremely patriotic, ask them to sing the Star Spangled Banner. The _fourth_ verse, if you please. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/162 "2017-07-20T04:04:55Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > For a bunch who claim to love their country so much, Republicans don’t seem to give a wet slap about the people in it. Everyone has people they care and don’t care about. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/163 "2017-07-20T04:49:39Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > For me personally, it’s definitely something more along the lines of the latter. I don’t believe that I’ve used the word “better” to try to rate Republicans as somehow overall superior to Democrats in this thread or the previous one. If I were to advance such a claim, it certainly wouldn’t be due to their respective levels of patriotism. > > I’m not trying to get you to admit or agree to anything. I wanted to hear some Dopers thoughts on why this poll came out the way it did. And it’s been interesting so far. We’ve gotten responses all the way from “[The liberal response is- fuck that shit. If that is the definition of patriotism, then call be proud not to be patriotic.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=20356582#post20356582)” to “[It’s Democrats who more embody the actual love of country, and the people in it, that the word patriotism properly signifies.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=20355403#post20355403)” and all sorts of perspectives in between. It’s surprised me how many people argued that patriotism isn’t / can’t be defined, and I honestly expected more replies along the lines of **Ravenman** ’s and less quibbling. I’d suggest starting over with a thread “Why do Republicans self-identify as more patriotic than Democrats?” This one is far too poisoned by the deeply flawed OP. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/164 "2017-07-20T06:45:33Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Everyone has people they care and don’t care about. I was thinking of the sorts who think millions of gay people should be treated as second-class citizens because the thought of two guys getting married make them feel icky, or those who eschew effective health insurance systems because some dead guys in wigs failed to mention it 200 years ago, or those who think their belief in ghosts justifies forcing women to bear children against their will. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/165 "2017-07-20T07:16:48Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Do you feel like Gallup is a pollster who has exhibited a past pattern of asking “loaded” questions? [Occasionally](http://www.acsh.org/news/2016/08/26/gallup-poll-great-example-of-how-to-bias-a-social-science-study)… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/166 "2017-07-20T09:12:20Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Because they’re _also_ generally not hypocrites lacking in any self awareness or sense of irony? > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Ahhhh, so your theory is that they’re the true patriots, but they’re also too humble to admit it to a pollster? :rolleyes: It’s not that far-fetched. One characteristic of self-awareness is the knowledge that laudable qualities are not announced by those who bear them; they are _displayed_. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/167 "2017-07-20T13:32:47Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > No, they’re not. They’re more nationalistic, and more chauvinistic, and more jingoistic. > > It’s Democrats who more embody the actual love of country, and the people in it, that the word patriotism properly signifies. This is the thing for me. What is generally espoused as “patriotism” here in the US really does teeter on the edge of blind “my country right or wrong” jingoistic nationalism. And nationalism scares the crap out of me. So, yes, I’m mostly a lefty, and for the purposes of the poll, I probably would not consider myself patriotic in the American sense. I don’t fly flags or wear my Americanism on my sleeve, but I do want the best for my country and do have a sincere love for it. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/168 "2017-07-20T16:11:57Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > … > As noted above, the Right Wing has hijacked the word “patriot” in the minds of many people to indicate an unquestioning support for the actions of my country regardless of whether those actions are right of wrong, proper or improper. In fact, for a number of people the actions of the country are defined as right or wrong based on whether the country is engaged in that behavior. So when citizens objected to U.S. interference in the Vietnamese civil war, they were branded “unpatriotic” and when citizens objected to an invasion of Iraq on the grounds that the excuses being put forth to justify it were lies and that such an invasion would cause the nation more harm than good, they were branded “unpatriotic.” > It is more likely that more Democrats than Republicans associate the word patriot with meaningless flag waving and jingoism, so their answers will reflect that. > > If one’s definition of patriotism identifies a patriot as someone whose claims that their country is always right, regardless of its actions, then that is the answer to the OP. > If one’s definition of patriotism identifies a patriot as someone with a great love of country, then one needs to find a word that has not already been politicized to have a specific political meaning. > [@wolfpup](#): > > … The downside of the Republican style of patriotism is that it tends to be unconditional – they are patriotic whether it’s deserved or not. Thus when the Vietnam war become hugely controversial, the pro and con sides lined up pretty much along ideological lines, and ditto for the second Iraq war. … > [@Anny\_Middon](#): > > … > I think my conception that patriotism is seen as a GOP trait goes back to my teen years, when conservatives went around telling those of us who protested the Viet Nam war or stood up for Civil Rights that we were being traitors. They wore buttons and had bumper stickers that proclaimed, “America – Love it or Leave It.” If you somehow dared to think that there were things that were wrong with our country, you were a damn commie. I wonder what those people would think about “Make America Great Again” – because what is that slogan but an admission that America isn’t great? > … > [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think the OP is misguided. The two parties have different ideas about what patriotism means. To Republicans, it’s … thinking that the US can do no wrong and that we must support the president, so long as it’s a white male. The liberal response is- fuck that shit. If that is the definition of patriotism, then call be proud not to be patriotic. We work to make the nation a better place for everybody, and that often includes pointing out what is wrong and who is wronged by it. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The Carl Schurz version of Decatur’s toast includes “When wrong to be put right”. Too many of us don’t recognize even the possibility, though. The ones actively fighting the many efforts to make the country a better place - for no defensible reason, just opposition to people they’ve been taught to despise - are actually the opposite of patriotic no matter how strongly they claim it. > [@DSeid](#): > > I think large numbers of each side interpret “patriotic” and especially “extremely patriotic” as “my country right or wrong.” A statement of faith, a creed. Intellectually I do not agree with that definition but I cannot help the fact that I still feel that connotation myself. > > IMHO quite a few Republicans with that understanding of the meaning endorse the thought and quite a few Democrats believe it their duty as Americans to be critical of our government’s actions when appropriate and skeptical of stated goals, so that connotation discomforts. > [@pulykamell](#): > > What is generally espoused as “patriotism” here in the US really does teeter on the edge of blind “my country right or wrong” jingoistic nationalism. There has been a pretty consistent argument in this thread that (I’m going to generalize / summarize here) lots of Republicans’ / Americans’ view of patriotism means not ever criticizing our country. I certainly haven’t seen that manifest itself in my personal life, and no one has yet supplied any data to support the claims made. Do any of you _have_ data / evidence, or is this all based on your personal anecdotes? **tomndebb** you said “the Right Wing has hijacked the word “patriot” in the minds of many people to indicate an unquestioning support for the actions of my country regardless of whether those actions are right of wrong”. How did you reach that conclusion about the minds of “many” people? Did you conduct a scientific poll? Read a scientific poll? Read the results of an online poll? In short, why the claim about “many”? Or should this just be dismissed as a personal anecdote that doesn’t really apply to “many people”? **Wolfpup** and **Anny Middon** didn’t quantify your statements, but you did say “the Republican style of patriotism” and “conservatives” without a qualifier. The sense I get from reading your posts is that you believe that this view of patriotism (“unconditional” / ‘shouldn’t dare to think there’s something wrong with the country’) is widespread among people on the other side of the aisle from you. Is that your view? If so, how did you come to that conclusion? Or should I take this as just more personal anecdotes about the minuscule fraction of Republicans and conservatives that you’ve interacted with directly? **BobLibDem** , you said that “To Republicans” “patriotism means” “thinking that the US can do no wrong and that we must support the president, so long as it’s a white male.” If you think back to the Clinton administration, I think you’ll realize how erroneous the latter part of your statement is, but what about the first part? How did you conclude that patriotism means to Republicans “the US can do no wrong”? As someone who’s listened to a fair bit of talk radio and watched Fox News a bit, I think you’re completely wrong here. There are shitloads of things that Republicans think the US is doing or has done wrong. How did you reach the conclusion you did, which - to me - is self-evidently wrong? The Gallup poll from the OP said that only 7% of Republicans “are satisfied with the way things are going in the country”. Did you read some other poll or conduct a bunch of focus groups where Republicans told you “the country can do no wrong”? Some personal anecdotes again? Or did it just sound good when you typed it, so you went with it without really thinking it through (sort of like the white male president thing)? **ElvisL1ves** , “Too many of us don’t recognize even the possibility” [of our country being wrong]. How did you determine it was too many? How did you determine it was any more than the tiny handful of personal anecdotes that I imagine was the genesis for this statement? **DSeid** You said “large numbers of each side” and “quite a few Republicans”. Any factual basis for that opinion, or is it just a personal hunch? I want to give you credit for saying “I think” and “IMHO” (and your bipartisanship and inclusiveness), but should any outside observer have any reason for believing your “large numbers” or “quite a few” quantifications? **pulykamel** you said it was “generally espoused as patriotism”. What led you to that conclusion? If we want to base our sweeping statements about people on some actual facts, why should anyone take your “generally” with anything but a truckful of salt? Is this just you painting with a broad brush, or is there actually some data out there that shows that “my country right or wrong” is actually the ‘general’ view of patriotism? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/169 "2017-07-20T16:20:56Z")
Is patriotism even a virtue? What if your vision of what the country should be is stupid? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/170 "2017-07-20T16:22:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Let’s take another look at that poll. > 52% of Republicans label themselves “Extremely Patriotic”, as opposed to 20% of Democrats, whereas 39% of Republics see themselves as “Very Patriotic”, as opposed to 42% of Democrats. > Is it being proposed that “Extreme Patriotism” is somehow better than merely being “Very Patriotic”? Personally, I’m not seeing it as a big plus that More Republicans see themselves as “extremists” than just “very patriotic”. > Do you? **HurricaneDitka** , you seem to be skirting around this issue. Do you actually think that because Republicans are more likely to label themselves “Extremely Patriotic” and Democrats are more likely to label themselves “Very patriotic”, Republicans are overall more patriotic than Democrats? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/171 "2017-07-20T16:25:04Z")
Every four years, a major component of the Republican definition of “patriotism” certainly seems to be “wearing a flag pin on your lapel”. And woe betide anyone who doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/172 "2017-07-20T16:27:09Z")
I too am baffled by the notion that Republicans don’t criticize America. Have people not seen Fox News Facebook comment sections? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/173 "2017-07-20T16:28:43Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Is patriotism even a virtue? What if your vision of what the country should be is stupid? **wolfpup** was making a similar argument in the post that I snipped from above. I suspect that most Americans think of patriotism as a virtue. Earlier **Procrustus** said that “… the Right has turned the concept of patriotism into a dirty word …” and my response was that “89% of Democrats told Gallup that supposedly-dirty word described them, in varying degrees.” (and an even higher % of Republicans). If people generally thought that it were a negative, I’d expect to see far fewer people saying they were “extremely” or “very”. But, I think part of your post was getting at the idea that just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s right or good. I agree with that concept in a general sense, but I don’t generally view patriotism as a bad thing. There were similar discussions in my 4th of July thread too. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/174 "2017-07-20T16:30:25Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > There has been a pretty consistent argument in this thread that (I’m going to generalize / summarize here) lots of Republicans’ / Americans’ view of patriotism means not ever criticizing our country. I certainly haven’t seen that manifest itself in my personal life, and no one has yet supplied any data to support the claims made. Do any of you _have_ data / evidence, or is this all based on your personal anecdotes? > > **tomndebb** you said “the Right Wing has hijacked the word “patriot” in the minds of many people to indicate an unquestioning support for the actions of my country regardless of whether those actions are right of wrong”. How did you reach that conclusion about the minds of “many” people? Did you conduct a scientific poll? Read a scientific poll? Read the results of an online poll? In short, why the claim about “many”? Or should this just be dismissed as a personal anecdote that doesn’t really apply to “many people”? > > **Wolfpup** and **Anny Middon** didn’t quantify your statements, but you did say “the Republican style of patriotism” and “conservatives” without a qualifier. The sense I get from reading your posts is that you believe that this view of patriotism (“unconditional” / ‘shouldn’t dare to think there’s something wrong with the country’) is widespread among people on the other side of the aisle from you. Is that your view? If so, how did you come to that conclusion? Or should I take this as just more personal anecdotes about the minuscule fraction of Republicans and conservatives that you’ve interacted with directly? > > **BobLibDem** , you said that “To Republicans” “patriotism means” “thinking that the US can do no wrong and that we must support the president, so long as it’s a white male.” If you think back to the Clinton administration, I think you’ll realize how erroneous the latter part of your statement is, but what about the first part? How did you conclude that patriotism means to Republicans “the US can do no wrong”? As someone who’s listened to a fair bit of talk radio and watched Fox News a bit, I think you’re completely wrong here. There are shitloads of things that Republicans think the US is doing or has done wrong. How did you reach the conclusion you did, which - to me - is self-evidently wrong? The Gallup poll from the OP said that only 7% of Republicans “are satisfied with the way things are going in the country”. Did you read some other poll or conduct a bunch of focus groups where Republicans told you “the country can do no wrong”? Some personal anecdotes again? Or did it just sound good when you typed it, so you went with it without really thinking it through (sort of like the white male president thing)? > > **ElvisL1ves** , “Too many of us don’t recognize even the possibility” [of our country being wrong]. How did you determine it was too many? How did you determine it was any more than the tiny handful of personal anecdotes that I imagine was the genesis for this statement? > > **DSeid** You said “large numbers of each side” and “quite a few Republicans”. Any factual basis for that opinion, or is it just a personal hunch? I want to give you credit for saying “I think” and “IMHO” (and your bipartisanship and inclusiveness), but should any outside observer have any reason for believing your “large numbers” or “quite a few” quantifications? > > **pulykamel** you said it was “generally espoused as patriotism”. What led you to that conclusion? If we want to base our sweeping statements about people on some actual facts, why should anyone take your “generally” with anything but a truckful of salt? Is this just you painting with a broad brush, or is there actually some data out there that shows that “my country right or wrong” is actually the ‘general’ view of patriotism? Why do people chant “USA! USA!” at Trump rallies? Why do people vote for someone who says our country is a disaster? Are these the people who consider themselves “extremely” patriotic? If these people are examples of patriotism, count me out. Perhaps that explains the polling. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/175 "2017-07-20T16:32:17Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > But, I think part of your post was getting at the idea that just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s right or good. I agree with that concept in a general sense, but I don’t generally view patriotism as a bad thing. There were similar discussions in my 4th of July thread too. Are you extremely patriotic? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/176 "2017-07-20T16:36:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > **HurricaneDitka** , you seem to be skirting around this issue. Do you actually think that because Republicans are more likely to label themselves “Extremely Patriotic” and Democrats are more likely to label themselves “Very patriotic”, Republicans are overall more patriotic than Democrats? I thought I answered this very directly in post #77, but I will attempt to do so here as well. Your post examines the ‘high’ end of the poll (extremely / very). The other half of the poll, the ‘low’ end, shows that 11% of Democrats consider themselves “not especially patriotic” while less than 0.5% of Republicans rate themselves similarly. Given that, yes, I think “Republicans are overall more patriotic than Democrats”, or to put it more precisely and assuage some of the concerns expressed up-thread, Republicans overall label themselves as more patriotic than Democrats do. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/177 "2017-07-20T16:36:46Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > There has been a pretty consistent argument in this thread that (I’m going to generalize / summarize here) lots of Republicans’ / Americans’ view of patriotism means not ever criticizing our country. I certainly haven’t seen that manifest itself in my personal life, and no one has yet supplied any data to support the claims made. Do any of you _have_ data / evidence, or is this all based on your personal anecdotes? Didn’t we just have a thread a bit ago about how it was inappropriate to criticize in any way, shape, or form, the United States of America on the Fourth of July? Maybe I was wrong, but I felt that it was being inferred that those who would dare to make such observations as to the flaws and challenges to their country would be unpatriotic. I don’t know if that word was actually used, and I don’t feel like going back to find out, but it certainly felt that way to me. Now, if we were just talking about thinks that were appropriate or prudent, and that you were not talking about patriotism, then I got the wrong impression, but you would have to admit that it would be a reasonable impression to get from the context of the thread. In any case, have you ever heard the phrase, “America, love it or leave it”? Anyone who uses that phrase or any of its variations is one who does not brook any criticism of their motherland. This is a sentiment more oft expressed on the R side of the aisle. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/178 "2017-07-20T16:44:10Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > **wolfpup** was making a similar argument in the post that I snipped from above. I suspect that most Americans think of patriotism as a virtue. Earlier **Procrustus** said that “… the Right has turned the concept of patriotism into a dirty word …” and my response was that “89% of Democrats told Gallup that supposedly-dirty word described them, in varying degrees.” (and an even higher % of Republicans). If people generally thought that it were a negative, I’d expect to see far fewer people saying they were “extremely” or “very”. > > But, I think part of your post was getting at the idea that just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s right or good. I agree with that concept in a general sense, but I don’t generally view patriotism as a bad thing. There were similar discussions in my 4th of July thread too. That doesn’t answer my question. Seriously, if your vision of what the country should be is a stupid one, is it fair to say that your patriotism is not a virtue? Popularity doesn’t really enter into it. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/179 "2017-07-20T16:45:06Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > **BobLibDem** , you said that “To Republicans” “patriotism means” “thinking that the US can do no wrong and that we must support the president, so long as it’s a white male.” If you think back to the Clinton administration, I think you’ll realize how erroneous the latter part of your statement is, but what about the first part? How did you conclude that patriotism means to Republicans “the US can do no wrong”? As someone who’s listened to a fair bit of talk radio and watched Fox News a bit, I think you’re completely wrong here. There are shitloads of things that Republicans think the US is doing or has done wrong. How did you reach the conclusion you did, which - to me - is self-evidently wrong? The Gallup poll from the OP said that only 7% of Republicans “are satisfied with the way things are going in the country”. Did you read some other poll or conduct a bunch of focus groups where Republicans told you “the country can do no wrong”? Some personal anecdotes again? Or did it just sound good when you typed it, so you went with it without really thinking it through (sort of like the white male president thing)? They think that the US can do no wrong internationally, for sure. Every war is justified, torture is justified, etc. Domestically, everything the US does is right, unless it was initiated by a Democratic president. Civil rights- bad. Torture- good. Obamacare- bad. So let me qualify my statement to “The US can do no wrong unless a Democrat was involved.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627/180 "2017-07-20T16:46:02Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I thought I answered this very directly in post #77, but I will attempt to do so here as well. Your post examines the ‘high’ end of the poll (extremely / very). The other half of the poll, the ‘low’ end shows that 11% of Democrats consider themselves “not especially patriotic” while less than 0.5% of Republicans rate themselves similarly. Given that, yes, I think “Republicans are overall more patriotic than Democrats”, or to put it more precisely and assuage some of the concerns expressed up-thread, Republicans overall label themselves as more patriotic than Democrats do. My post emphasizes the higher end of the poll _because that is where 91% of the Republicans and 62% of the Democrats placed themselves._ You seem to want to ignore the majority of those polled to “prove” your point(whatever that is), and you are wrong to do so. Now-would you care to comment on where the _vast majority_ of Republicans and Democrats polled and/or how you would have answered the poll yourself? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-generally-more-patriotic-than-democrats/791627.md?page=10)