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According to the Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau, the public opinion in Mexico has become increasingly negative toward the United States over the past decade. Also America’s southern neighbor now holds strongly negative views of President Bush and the candidates vying to replace him. This information was revealed from a public opinion survey released Thursday.

My question is, do we really care? It is foolish to base how we run our nation, the decisions that are or are not made in government, and to view public opinion in any foreign country as a good reason to appease. How we look to other nations and what they think is what is destroying this nation.

We care what Mexico thinks, but not Israel? How utterly pathetic.

A Pew Global Attitudes Survey of citizens in Mexico and 23 other countries found that 47 percent of Mexicans have a positive view of the United States, down from 68 percent a decade ago. Nearly half of that decline — 9 percentage points — came since last year, when an anti-immigrant backlash in America inflamed some residents of Mexico.

The survey did not attempt to question Mexicans about their motivations behind their beliefs, but the negative mood is clearly focused on American political leaders.

Just 16 percent of Mexicans have confidence in President Bush, a former border state governor who professes great affection for Mexico. Only 29 percent of Mexicans have confidence in Democratic presidential candidate Obama, and 19 percent respond favorably to Republican contender John McCain.

“The cynicism about the United States runs pretty deeply” in Mexico, said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center. “They know us fairly well, and they probably have doubts.”

The findings were part of a comprehensive survey of world attitudes on various political and economic topics. More than 24,000 people were interviewed on six continents.

While other nations’ views of the U.S. soured after the Iraq invasion in 2003, the decline in Mexican support for America has come more recently, amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States and a crackdown by the Bush administration on undocumented workers.

Among all the countries surveyed, Mexico was more skeptical of the two candidates for president than any outside the Muslim world. The only nations that were more dubious of Obama than Mexico were Pakistan (10 percent), Turkey (20 percent) and Jordan (22 percent).

Only Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia were more hostile to McCain.

One would think we are vetting Mexico and other countries in their opinion polls to justify the sickening presidential campaign that Obama is running. Everyone has noticed that the numbers always favor Obama making McCain appear to be the underdog.

Then of course we have the illegal immigration issue, which Mexican citizens have not yet taken responsibility for. The people of Mexico are entitled you know since they are still ticked off at Uncle Sam for possessing everything North of the Rio Grande.

Just 37 percent of Mexican citizens think that the new president will change U.S. foreign policy for the better, the survey said — one of the most pessimistic assessments in the world.

The harshly negative Mexican perceptions of McCain are particularly surprising because the Arizona senator has consistently won a majority of Mexican-American votes in his statewide races. What’s more, he was the primary Republican sponsor of comprehensive immigration legislation that would have given illegal workers a pathway to eventual U.S. citizenship.

Resentment against Uncle Sam is widespread south of the Rio Grande. Only 17 percent of Mexicans think the United States influences their country in a positive way. One in five Mexicans think the U.S. influences their economy for the better.

About half of Mexicans think of the U.S. as a partner; 31 percent consider America an enemy.

I find it amusing that 31 percent of Mexicans consider America an enemy. But then those people are more than likely the ones that were caught here illegally and sent back to where they belong - south of the border.

So tell me who cares what Mexico thinks of our leaders and I will show you the fools. If you think this is not serious just realize how many apologists write that we are demonizing Mexicans.

What is to get?

We are beyond irritated with Mexicans that are here illegally, but we do not hate Mexicans or anyone else that came to the U.S. legally. Appeasing the Mexicans and their government by not enforcing our laws so that they will feel good about us is just plain suicide.

One can only surmise that if people in our nation are so obsessed about what Mexico or any other country thinks of us or our politicians then we are in bad shape with a low self-esteem and no foresight into how to conduct foreign policy.

It is no secret that there is no love lost between me and McCain, but at least I can be sure of one thing about the man, he is a patriot vs. Obama who is a pinhead.

As for Mexico and her citizenry - they do not matter to our nation, to our elections, or for that matter how Americans conduct their business. Mexico needs to shut the hell up and worry about their not so piffy nation of drug lords and criminals and stay south of the border. They cannot even solve their own problems but believe they can solve ours?

[Discuss This Topic with Layla Gonzalez]

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