http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/04/us.poll/index.html

(CNN) -- How would the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin feel about the way the United States has turned out 232 years after declaring its independence?

Most Americans say they're proud to be citizens, but most also think the Founding Fathers wouldn't be pleased.

Most Americans say they're proud to be citizens, but most also think the Founding Fathers wouldn't be pleased.

Not pleased, a majority of Americans recently polled said.

According to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey, 69 percent of adult Americans who responded to a poll June 26-29 said the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be disappointed by the way the nation has turned out overall.

Twenty-nine percent responded "pleased," the only other choice given to the 1,026 respondents of the telephone poll.

Americans "didn't always feel that way," according to Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "In 2001, 54 percent thought that the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be pleased with the state of the country today."

Still, most who responded to last month's poll took great pride in their country.

Sixty-one percent said they were extremely proud to be Americans; another 28 percent said they were very proud. Seven percent answered "moderately," 2 percent said "only a little," and 1 percent answered "not at all."

The percentage saying "extremely proud" was virtually unchanged from 2005. In 2003, 70 percent said they were extremely proud, and 55 percent said so in 2001. All polls were taken in the same time period, June 26-29, as the 2008 poll.

Another question asked in June: How often should a U.S. presidential candidate wear a flag pin (when dressed in other than casual clothes)?

Forty-one percent of respondents said a candidate should always wear one. Another 13 percent said "frequently," 16 percent said "sometimes," 19 percent said "only occasionally," and 9 percent said "never."

The questions carried a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, except the flag pin question, which had a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

__________________
Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.

---- Ronald Reagan

I think they would disagree with some things extremely but would be happy with the overal actions of our country.

I suspect most Americans would have no idea who the Founding Fathers were.

Or what they stood for.

I would think they would roll over in their grave seeing their constitution bound with the blood of many ancesters has been rewritten by Neocon Bush, monarchial piece of trash, president of the United States. All their work going down the drain.


On this day especially, the constitution of the United States will be displayed and none of it is valid any more. Please shame us some more so they can come back and haunt! Jesus won't be resurrecting, our founding fathers will to make us pay for blood that it took to make that constitution and we throw it all away to steal some other countries oil.



We are eternally disgraced! Don't forget that on what was supposed to be a proud day in this countries history.

Very true, however I don't think they would exactly be surprised. There was legislation being passed during their lives they would argue are completely against the revolutionary ideals (Jefferson's view of the Jay Treaty, for example).

They were very wary of the power of a federal government, but Federalism was gaining ground during their lives... they would be upset but not necessarily surprised. I must admit I'm not putting as much thought into this as I probably should but... for now thats my opinion... may revise through an edit later:-p

I'd like to think the founders were optimists. I don't think they'd be displeased, I just think they'd be awed. Television, cell phones, internet, radios, cars, computers, nuclear war heads, heating and cooling, indoor pluming in every home, McDonald's, video cameras. They'd be amazed.

Its most likely they wouldn't be pleased since they weren't pleased how the country was beginning to change while they were alive.

__________________
Signature:

My guess is the founders would not be so impressed by our gadgets, knowing we fuel them through wars for other countries oil.

__________________
"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." - Kurt Vonnegut

The founders would not at all be surprised that technology has advanced (and plenty of countries have cell phones and McDonald's). But I suspect the founders would still be in disagreement with each other about the country's path. Hamilton would probably love it. Jefferson would be leading another revolution.

__________________
Behind this mask, there is more than flesh and blood. Behind this mask is an idea. And ideas are bulletproof.

.... and so we look at the world thru the prism of our own prejudices.

__________________
Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.

---- Ronald Reagan