After Nelson Mandela’s death earlier this month, a South Carolina sheriff and GOP congressman each said they opposed lowering the American flag to honor the anti-apartheid icon.
A poll conducted by Democratic firm PPP and shared with TPM this week found that 45 percent of Republicans nationwide shared the same view.
The poll explored Mandela’s legacy in the United States and public opinion of the American tribute that followed his death.
Overall, 54 percent of all Americans said they supported lowering the flag to half-staff to honor Mandela, while 30 percent said they opposed the gesture. But a plurality of Republicans — 45 percent — opposed lowering the flag for Mandela, while 34 percent said they supported the tribute.
Half of Mitt Romney voters said they opposed lowering the flag for Mandela, while 55 percent of respondents who identified as “very conservative” also opposed the tribute.
Conversely, huge majorities of Democrats and liberals — about 80 percent for each group — said they supported lowering the flag to honor Mandela.
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Pickens County, S.C. Sheriff Rick Clark each drew attention for publicly objecting to lowering the flag for Mandela on the grounds that the honor should only be reserved for Americans.
When given the choice by PPP to describe Mandela as a “worldwide hero” or a “Communist and terrorist,” 70 percent of all respondents ascribed the former label. A slight majority of Republicans — 51 percent — said the same, but a third said they weren’t sure how to describe Mandela. Ninety-one percent of Democrats called Mandela a “worldwide hero.”
The question did not yield a consensus among the most conservative respondents, though. Thirty-eight percent of those described as “very conservative” dubbed Mandela a “worldwide hero,” compared with 23 percent who called him a “Communist and terrorist” and 40 percent who said they weren’t sure.
After the likes of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) memorialized Mandela on Facebook, a slew of commenters disparaged the late leader.
Mandela is plenty beloved among Americans, but his standing is clearly lower among conservatives and Republicans. According to the poll, 71 percent of all respondents have a favorable opinion of the late leader. Eighty-nine percent of Democrats said they view Mandela favorably, far more than the 54 percent of Republicans who said the same. Eighteen percent of Republicans said they have an unfavorable opinion of Mandela, compared with only five percent of Democrats.
