A Gallup Poll revealed that President Obama and Hillary Clinton are the most admired man and woman in the world. The President has received the award eight times. Ms. Clinton has been named 20 times; this is her 14^th in a row. Seventeen percent of Americans gave Mr. Obama the rating, and thirteen percent named Ms. Clinton.

The surprising tie for third was between Pope Francis and Donald Trump at five percent. Really?

Pope Francis was far from a surprise, but the pollsters had to explain Donald Trump.

Trump was in the top ten previously between 1988 through 1990 and again in 2011. But why now? He is always in the news and his name is on the tip of the tongue of every American. No other Republican was mentioned.

The poll has standards; no sitting president is allowed to receive the award more than eight times.

I’m not certain if this means anything for the 2016 election, but I do know that it shows that the American people have little or no respect for the Republican Party; and rightfully so. They have nothing to offer the American people, and have caused gridlock in Washington. As more of our nation’s people face the fact that they do not represent their needs and wishes, their popularity declines.

I believe that if more Americans knew Bernie Sanders, he would have been in the top ten. His devotion to the people of America is sincere and his ideas would benefit the majority while ignoring special interests.

Read into this what you will, but it does have relevance in a political season when not a single qualified candidate has been offered by Republicans. Certainly no one can claim that any of them has a positive attitude or charisma which might attract the voting public.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Source

Photo Courtesy of Roger H. Goun

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