The one growing gap between Dems and Republicans that shouldn’t ever exist — patriotism
The one growing gap between Dems and Republicans that shouldn't ever exist -- patriotism
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Rich Lowry
OpinionThe one growing gap between Dems and Republicans that shouldn’t ever exist — patriotism
By Rich Lowry Published June 19, 2026, 7:15 a.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on GoogleDemocrats take great offense at being accused of being unpatriotic — but the data don’t lie.
A new NBC News poll captured the partisan gap over pride in America.
Overall, 56% of Americans are extremely or very proud of the country, but only 29% of Democrats, compared to 90% of Republicans.
That’s a yawning gap, and about a matter that really shouldn’t be controversial.
We aren’t talking about abortion, or Donald Trump’s White House ballroom, but an elemental thing — pride in country — that in most times and places has been taken for granted.
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Once upon a time, that was the case here. The Gallup poll found in January 2001 that nearly 90 percent of Americans were extremely or very proud of the country.
In 2017, according to Gallup, 75% of the public said they extremely or very proud of America — a low at the time — and it’s been down since.
The decline has been driven largely by Democrats.
Their disdain for President Trump clearly is responsible for some of the drop, but not all of it.
Democrats were less proud of the country than Republicans even when Barack Obama and Joe Biden were president.
Obviously, pride in country shouldn’t depend on who the president is; the country is so much more than its politics.
Mark Twain said that “the only rational patriotism is loyalty to the nation all the time, loyalty to the government when it deserves it.”
Even if you have contempt for the party in power, there’s the country’s founding, its constitutional system, its stupendous wealth, its great heroes, its victories in two world wars, its natural beauty and its endlessly interesting, fair-minded and inventive people to feel proud of.
Many Democrats are unmoved by these things, or consider them sources of embarrassment.
The founding? Tainted by racism.
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The constitutional system? An antiquated obstacle to progress.
The economy? Rigged by and for billionaires.
Our heroes? Feet of clay or worse.
A key word here is “systemic,” as in “systemic racism,” which suggests that racism is not a product of historical circumstance, but endemic to the American project itself.
Why feel pride in a country that is not yet redeemed, indeed may be unredeemable?
The left — especially in academics — has long advanced the view that America’s role in the world is predatory and imperialistic.
Over time, this radical critique of US foreign policy has gained more traction within the Democratic mainstream.
Then there’s the attitude toward small-scale expressions of patriotism — American flag imagery, lapel pins, fly-overs, Lee Greenwood songs and the like — that progressives tend to consider crude or jingoistic.
James Talarico, the Democratic US Senate candidate in Texas, once called the American flag “a complicated symbol.”
If the national banner doesn’t elicit an instinctive feeling of devotion, one’s attachment to the country is likely attenuated as well.
Many progressives would counter that America is a set of ideals, and we should feel fealty to it only to the extent we realize those ideals.
But the country and its people are also a concrete reality, and you either like them or not, feel connected to them or not, and — this is close to the crux of the matter — feel grateful for them or not.
Nearly everyone who isn’t particularly proud of America is still incredibly indebted to it, benefiting from its liberty and prosperity.
It’s a profound act of ingratitude not to return the debt with a sense of reverence and obligation.
It’s not enough to say, in effect, you’ll feel proud of the country at some future point when it has met certain social and political benchmarks.
This amounts to a version of St. Augustine’s famous prayer: “Lord, make me patriotic, but not yet.”
In short, patriotism shouldn’t be a partisan issue, rather a foundational commitment of both parties and all factions.
These days, though, we can’t even agree to feel proud of the nation we share — and to which we all owe so much.
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Filed under- america
- barack obama
- democrats
- donald trump
- economy
- joe biden
- patriotism
- racism
- the constitution
- 6/19/26
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
