Poll: Majority of Canadians
dislike Bush
CNews (CA)
December 13, 2004
WASHINGTON (AP) - Nearly two-thirds of Canadians had an
unfavourable view of U.S. President George W. Bush, even though
most Canadians said they had a good opinion of Americans,
suggests a poll done for The Associated Press.
Just over six in 10 said they were "worried" and
"disappointed" by Bush's re-election last month, said the poll
conducted by Ipsos-Reid Nov. 19-22., a little more than a week
before his first official visit to Canada.
"The negative view that Canadians have of George (W) Bush does
not, however, extend to Americans in general," said Darrell
Bricker, president of North American Public Affairs for
Ipsos-Reid. "Eighty per cent of Canadians say they like
Americans. This is not surprising. No matter how you measure it,
most Canadians regard Americans as closest cousins."
The poll was part of an international poll conducted in eight
countries - Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany,
Spain and the United States - on public attitudes about Bush, his
re-election and his role in world affairs.
Bush's re-election was viewed negatively by a majority of
people in those countries - including in Britain, America's
strongest ally in the war in Iraq, polling found.
At least seven in 10 in France, Germany and Spain said they
had an unfavourable view of President Bush. Just over half of the
French and Germans said they had an unfavourable view of
Americans in general, and about half of Spaniards felt that
way.
Especially inclined to have an unfavourable opinion of Bush in
those countries were people between ages 18 and 24.
"The predominant feelings about Bush's re-election in the
European countries are disappointment and surprise more than
anger," said Gilles Corman, director of public affairs for
Ipsos-Inra in Belgium.
Polling found that Bush was viewed favourably by a majority of
people in the United States. But that was not the case in
Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
A majority of people in Britain, America's strongest ally in
the Iraq war, had an unfavourable view of Bush. Six in 10 Britons
said they were disappointed he was re-elected.
In Canada, about the same number of Canadians said they were
disappointed with the re-election.
Sixty-four per cent of the Canadians polled had an
unfavourable view of Bush.
Ipsos polled 1,003 people for the Canadian segment of the
poll.
Just over half of the people in France, Germany and Spain had
an unfavourable view of Americans, but a solid majority in
Australia (69 per cent), Britain (60 per cent), Canada (80 per
cent) and Italy (56 per cent) expressed a favourable opinion.
Canadians and Americans have close ties, and the two countries
share the world's longest undefended border and have the largest
trade partnership, estimated at more than $1.2 billion Cdn a day.
About one-third of Canada's entire output, and 85 per cent of its
exports, go to the United States.
Canada did not send troops to Iraq, but it has dispatched
peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan.
The AP-Ipsos poll found that just over two-thirds of Canadians
said they had a negative opinion of Bush's role in world affairs,
compared with 30 per cent who said they had a positive view.
Bush's socially conservative views and support of Christian
conservatives do not resonate well with most people in Canada,
where there is a system of publicly funded health care and the
federal Liberal government has pledged to legalize gay marriage
countrywide.
Polls done before the U.S. election showed Canadians
supporting Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry by at least a 2-1
margin.
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