Thread: Poll: Mexicans view U.S. political leaders negatively

June 12, 2008, 7:45PM
Poll: Mexicans view U.S. political leaders negatively


By RICHARD S. DUNHAM
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau


WASHINGTON — Public opinion in Mexico has turned sharply against the United States over the past decade, and many in America's southern neighbor now hold strongly negative views of President Bush and the candidates vying to replace him, a public opinion survey released Thursday revealed.

A Pew Global Attitudes Survey of citizens in Mexico and 23 other countries found that 47 percent of Mexicans have a positive view of the United States, down from 68 percent a decade ago. Nearly half of that decline — 9 percentage points — came since last year, when an anti-immigrant backlash in America inflamed some residents of Mexico.

The survey did not attempt to question Mexicans about their motivations behind their beliefs, but the negative mood is clearly focused on American political leaders.

Just 16 percent of Mexicans have confidence in President Bush, a former border state governor who professes great affection for Mexico. Only 29 percent of Mexicans have confidence in Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, and 19 percent respond favorably to Republican contender John McCain.

"The cynicism about the United States runs pretty deeply" in Mexico, said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center. "They know us fairly well, and they probably have doubts."

The findings were part of a comprehensive survey of world attitudes on various political and economic topics. More than 24,000 people were interviewed on six continents.

While other nations' views of the U.S. soured after the Iraq invasion in 2003, the decline in Mexican support for America has come more recently, amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States and a crackdown by the Bush administration on undocumented workers.

Among all the countries surveyed, Mexico was more skeptical of the two candidates for president than any outside the Muslim world. The only nations that were more dubious of Obama than Mexico were Pakistan (10 percent), Turkey (20 percent) and Jordan (22 percent).

Only Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia were more hostile to McCain.

Just 37 percent of Mexican citizens think that the new president will change U.S. foreign policy for the better, the survey said — one of the most pessimistic assessments in the world.

The harshly negative Mexican perceptions of McCain are particularly surprising because the Arizona senator has consistently won a majority of Mexican-American votes in his statewide races. What's more, he was the primary Republican sponsor of comprehensive immigration legislation that would have given illegal workers a pathway to eventual U.S. citizenship.

Resentment against Uncle Sam is widespread south of the Rio Grande. Only 17 percent of Mexicans think the United States influences their country in a positive way. One in five Mexicans think the U.S. influences their economy for the better.

About half of Mexicans think of the U.S. as a partner; 31 percent consider America an enemy.

richard.dunham@chron.com





http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5834368.html

Who cares what they think? If their view is so negative, why are so many of their citizens here and more keep coming?

Did you think it wouldn't be anything but negative? Like I really care what Mexico thinks.....

Like I give a sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeet? ( YAWN )

Want to ask Americans our opinion of Mexico's leaders????

Originally Posted by jean

Want to ask Americans our opinion of Mexico's leaders????

Yeah you can say that again.

when an anti-immigrant backlash in America inflamed some residents of Mexico.

Mexico, do you want to see the face of an inflamed American?

Woopie Ding Do Du, I can't name a single one of the Mexican El Presidente's that deserves my respect.

Dixie

Originally Posted by TheFomorian

when an anti-immigrant backlash in America inflamed some residents of Mexico.

Mexico, do you want to see the face of an inflamed American?

Oh yeah I LOVE IT HARHARHARHAR. Oh my goodness thats a good one.
I love it. You got it going .

This isn't a poupularity contest. Americans want leaders who put Americans first and everyone else second. Why is that so hard for Mexicans to understand - they're just not that important.