Americans can be an idealistic people. Just ask the guys who rake in millions selling never-used gym memberships and never-opened organizers — or any NFL, MLB or NBA fan in Washington D.C. But when it comes to politics, it’s a very different story. According to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll out today, our cynicism about our Presidents couldn’t run any deeper.
The poll finds that nearly two-thirds of Americans don’t believe George “I cannot tell a lie” Washington or “Honest” Abe Lincoln told the truth when they were in office.
Seventy-four percent of the more than 1,000 Americans CNN polled over Presidents Day weekend said they believed George Washington “lied to the public” while he was president. Americans are little more trusting of Lincoln — only 71% say he lied in office.
It appears the country’s current political climate has deepened the nation’s distrust of its elected officials. Seventy-five percent of respondents to the poll said that the word “honest” does not describe politicians in Washington today, the highest number CNN has recorded since 1990.
At the same time Americans’ faith in their current politicians has declined, their idealism about their legendary politicians has waned as well. In 1992, just 63% of Americans said that Washington lied when he was in office. By 1999, that number had risen to 72%. Lincoln’s reputation hasn’t fared much better. In the ’99 poll, just 65% said Honest Abe lied to the people when he was in office.
