The sociological company Gallup has summed up the competition for the title of America’s most respected man. There were also polls about the most inspiring woman and man in the country. And if Michelle Obama won in the women’s category for the third year in a row without surprises, then among the men the results were unexpected. For 12 years in a row, Barack Obama was recognized as the most respected man in America, but this year he lost – Donald Trump broke into first place.
American sociologists from Gallup traditionally conduct research to find the most respected person in the United States. The question is always asked in an open form, that is, the respondent can name any person as his inspirer – from his grandmother to the President of the United States of America. Then the scientists calculate the results and announce the prestigious ten most respected people of the year, and, of course, the most respected person in the United States.
The survey form makes it possible to name a person without reference to his activities. Thus, this year’s top ten most respected men include basketball player LeBron James, entrepreneurs Bill Gates and Elon Musk, religious leaders the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis I, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has been the face of the fight against coronavirus in the United States.
Nevertheless, the first three positions were taken by politicians – they were the ones who most inspired the American people this year. Donald Trump won this nomination, contrary to the predictions of sociologists. The fact is that all previous years he lost to his predecessor, Barack Obama. Sociologists explained this by the president’s low rating.
This year has turned out to be very difficult for Donald Trump. He had to deal with the coronavirus, the collapse of the economy, and mass demonstrations on the streets of American cities. Against this background, the president’s rating sank even more – and, despite this, he was able to bypass the obvious favorite Obama.
The incumbent US president was recognized as the uncontested authority by 18% of the respondents, while Barack Obama can be considered a reference point only for 15% of Americans. President-elect Joe Biden came in third with a modest 6%. Three times fewer Americans see him as their landmark than Trump.
The President of America himself reacted to this news. “Trump is number one. Obama is number two. And Biden is number three, very far behind. This is strange, considering that on November 3, Biden allegedly received several million votes more than Trump, but in this poll, he did not even get close to him, “Trump quoted his Mark Stein.
“This is because he received millions of false votes in the 2020 elections that were rigged,” Trump added.
If you look at the entire list, then Trump was awarded not only the title of the most respected man of the year in the United States but also the most respected man in the country. The most inspiring American woman – Barack Obama’s wife Michelle – received only 10% of the polled. Kamala Harris is in second place with 6%. The incumbent first lady came third – 4% of Americans admire Melania Trump.
This poll is a purely symbolic competition between the main characters of the outgoing year. However, there is important research behind idle interest. The rise in Trump’s performance is primarily due to the fantastic support of the representatives of his party. 48% of the Republicans surveyed voted for Donald Trump, despite the fact that they could name not only politicians. Trump’s incredible edge is all the more telling when no other male has scored even 3% of Republican support.
The Republican Party is more united than ever in its love for Trump. And this should become a guarantee for the president that he will not disappear from politics after the end of his term. Trump was not rejected by his own party, on the contrary, he was elevated to the rank of an idol. And the Republican is unlikely to come to terms with the final defeat in such a situation.
