Studies Reveal Most Canadians Harbor Deep Hatred of Bush
Commentary
~ May 25, 2004: Canadians are renowned for being easy-going, friendly and polite. They usually give everyone the benefit of the doubt before forming an opinion. And they rarely hate anyone.
Except for George Bush, that is. Bush has managed to attract antipathy from the country known for its hospitality and friendliness towards Americans.
More than eight in 10 Canadians said they harbor a strong dislike for Bush, according to a recent Ipsos-Reid/CTV/Globe and Mail poll. In that survey, nearly half (45%) said they believe that Canada's current relationship with Bush is worse than the country has had with any other American president in history. Seven-in-ten (70%) Canadians say the United States doesn't care how its actions impact Canada, and 75 percent do not believe that the American president even has a good understanding of Canada or of the Canadian people.
The survey also found that 82 percent of Canadians polled agreed with the statement that Bush "is not necessarily a friend of Canada and doesn't really know anything when it comes to Canadian issues."
Maclean's, a national weekly, reported that only 15 percent of Canadians would vote for the Bush. The same magazine
conducted a poll in which it found that 68 percent of Canadians say the U.S.'s global reputation has worsened over the last decade, while 38 percent say they feel more negatively about America since Sept. 11 (the biggest reasons cited are the war in Iraq and George Bush). When asked to pick a word that best describes Americans, the No. 1 response was "arrogant."
Another poll, from Zogby Research International, found that 72 percent are dead against the American occupation of Iraq.
A Maclean's annual year-end poll found that 75 percent of Canadians believe Ottawa was right to refuse to commit troops to Iraq, even if it annoyed its closest trading partner.
Except for George Bush, that is. Bush has managed to attract antipathy from the country known for its hospitality and friendliness towards Americans. 