As a young boy growing up in the 1960s, staying up late on a Friday or Saturday night was something special. After the Creature Features were over, I’d wait for what came next … that moment when our local TV station signed off the air … the screen would glow with the National Anthem proudly playing in the background, as a montage of heart-stirring images rolled by: amber waves of grain, purple mountains’ majesty, heroes in uniform, and Old Glory whipping in the wind as an eagle soared proudly across the sky.

I didn’t just sit there, half-asleep, or turn off the set … oh no, not yet … I’d leap from my chair, spine straight, chin up, heart pounding like a drum. I’d salute that flag on the screen, eyes locked on it, chest bursting with a love for America so fierce it felt like it could crack my ribs. And let me tell you, 60 years later, that fire hasn’t dimmed one bit … I love my country with every fiber of my being, and I always will.

So, I’m damn proud to be an American, but some folks only seem to love it when they’re calling the shots. A Gallup poll just dropped a truth bomb: only 36% of Democrats say they’re “extremely” or “very” proud to be American, while 92% of Republicans are waving the flag high. The question was straightforward, “How proud are you to be an American … extremely proud, very proud, moderately proud, only a little proud, or not at all proud?” Out of five levels, three show clear love for the USA, yet a measly 36% of Democrats could muster one of those. That means a full 64% are flat-out “not proud at all.” Let’s dig into the numbers since 2000 and see why Democrats’ loyalty seems tied to their party’s power, not America’s soul.

George W. Bush (2001-2008)

In 2000 (Clinton’s final year, pre-Bush): Gallup’s trend kicked off in 2001, but pre-2000 data shows near-universal pride, with around 85-90% of both Democrats and Republicans saying “extremely” or “very” proud. Post-Cold War vibes had everyone, even Dems, ready to salute the flag.

In 2004 (Bush’s first term): Republicans hit 91% proud, while Democrats were down to 78%. Republicans were fired up post-9/11, but Dems, maybe still sore from Al Gore’s loss in 2000, weren’t quite as starry-eyed … still, 78% isn’t exactly turning their backs on the USA.

In 2008 (Bush’s second term): Republicans held strong at 90%, but Democrats slid to 65%. Economic crashes and war fatigue had Dems less thrilled, while Republicans stayed true to the red, white, and blue, no matter the chaos.

Barack Obama (2009-2016)

In 2012 (Obama’s first term): Republicans dipped to 83%, their lowest under Obama, while Democrats climbed to 72%. Dems were riding high on Obama’s re-election wave, but Republicans weren’t tossing confetti for a guy they saw as weak on freedom … still, both kept pride above 70%.

In 2016 (Obama’s second term): Republicans slid to 81%, grumbling as Obama’s term ended, while Democrats hit 68%. Dems started souring as their guy’s time had run out, like their “Hope and Change” bumper stickers were losing stickiness.

Donald Trump (2017-2020)

In 2020 (Trump’s first term): Democrats tanked to 42%, a low point, while Republicans stayed strong at 87% positive. Protests and chaos had Dems acting like flag-waving was a disease, while Republicans doubled down on America First pride … a 45-point gap that screamed division.

Joe Biden (2021-2024)

In 2024 (Biden’s term): Democrats bounced to 62%, while Republicans hit 85%. Biden’s mess didn’t dent GOP pride, and Dems, maybe feeling cocky, showed more love for the USA … but the gap still showed a divided nation.

Donald Trump (2025-present, data up to June 2025)

In 2025 (Trump’s second term, early): Democrats plummeted to 36%, a record low, while Republicans soared to 92%. That’s a 56-point gap, the widest since Gallup started in 2001. The Washington Post noted Dems dragged national pride down to a measly 58%.

These numbers paint a clear picture: Republicans’ pride stays strong, 80-92%, sturdy like the flag at Fort McHenry, no matter who’s in charge. We love the Constitution, our rights, and America’s grit. Democrats? Their national pride’s like a yo-yo: 78% in 2004, 65% in 2008, 72% in 2012, 68% in 2016, 42% in 2020, 62% in 2024, and now a pathetic 36% in 2025. They’re obviously only loyal to the Democrat Party, not to America, not to the country that gives the right to disagree with neighbors and seek government redress as they wish … but when they don’t get their way, they throw a temper tantrum. They love this country only when they’ve got the power to shove their agenda down our throats, but when they’re out, they turn their backs like kids with a petty high school grudge.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. No, not all Democrats hate this country … I get it …some might just be moping. But we’d be so much better off if that 64% of Democrats who flat-out hate America just packed up and left. If they’d move to some collectivist, utopian paradise they’d actually like, and leave the rest of us to celebrate liberty, the Constitution, and the United States of America without their whining. Go find your happy place and leave us alone. I hear Cuba has nice beaches, and North Korea’s building some shiny new cities … they could use some workers. Or maybe those green-haired “Queers for Palestine” freaks should pack up and move to some Muslim country in the Middle East, where they’ll be welcomed with open arms as they’re dropped from the roof of a nine-story building.

But for me, it’s that love of country that drives me to always take a stand. Whether it was born in my bones or sparked by those grainy TV sign-offs, my heart burns for the America built by giants. The Founding Fathers—Sam and John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin, George Washington, and John Hancock all have my deepest love, respect and admiration.

But let’s not just honor the big names from our history books, every Independence Day I think of the unsung heroes, the rugged men who joined the militias, battled through the brutal winter at Valley Forge, and endured those early smackdowns by the Redcoats.

Those steadfast souls who stood by General Washington to the bitter end. Those faceless, nameless patriots are my true heroes, and they deserve a special day all their own. I’d love to see a Patriots Day established to honor those first American soldiers, all of them volunteers, who fought with unmatched bravery against the tyranny of King George, the Mad King himself!

Yes, all those men are my heroes as well, those who stared down tyranny and forged a nation of liberty.

Then there’s the rabble rousers like, Patrick Henry, who ignited the revolution with a cry that still shakes the soul of every patriot … “Give me liberty or give me death!” … that’s the spirit that fuels my soul.

And of course the unequaled bravery of Nathan Hale, that lion, that rock, an American spy who, when captured and hanged, didn’t grovel … he looked the British dead in the eye and roared, “My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country!” That’s as close to a colonial “kiss my ass” as it gets! No Founder faced the noose for defiance, but Hale’s bold middle finger to the Redcoats makes him a patriot I feel is worth saluting.

And let’s not forget the Sons of Liberty in Boston, dumping tea and defying the crown, who still stand tall in my heart. I’ve got endless respect and unending gratitude for all those in history who have served our country. From 1774 till today—the soldiers, cops, firefighters—carrying that same torch of freedom.

America ain’t just land and borders … it ain’t just buildings and shopping malls … it’s the God-given right to live free, guard our families, and wipe out the swamp rats, those slimy corrupt politicians and globalist New World Order clowns trying to chain us down! I’d love to see ‘em all shipped off to an Alligator Alcatraz. Let them squirm in the muck they created. No mercy for traitors to liberty!

But this July 4th, let’s raise a glass to the America that shines brighter than their schemes … a nation of patriots, built on the Constitution, built on liberty, where freedom’s fire never quits, a rock-solid foundation as strong as the granite of Mount Rushmore … tough, American granite, the kind that laughs at wind and time, a granite of durable texture perfect for those massive faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.

Let’s all say, happy 249th birthday to the United States, and God bless America.