How can you run to this on the treadmill?? I'm far more interested in hashing that out!

Fair point cabaker . It was a cool-down song, (and it still gets to me every time...)

Ok cool downs I can def. see! Thanks for clearing that up.

I am not a defeatist or a negative nelly, i dont think we are that off track. well, only in regards to our hollywood worship we are...

I think that the government has stopped representing the will of the people. I think that so many scandalous things have happened recently with the Justice Department, waterboarding, wire tapping, ear marks, the war, lobbyists...it all just leads citizens to feel that the people they elected to represent them are not doing that. Just my opinion, though.

OH, i want to leave the city and be a farmer!!!!!! And I want a cute man to ride up on the tractor at the end of the day. hi honey! our cotton has sprouted up 6 inches since yesterday! and Bessie just had a calf.

Jill I agree that we've made a lot of missteps in recent years, but saying that you are embarassed of your country is a pretty strong sentiment. (not you personally, the general you )

Being off course for a few years doesn't negate all the good we've ever done and it's not like we haven't done ANYTHINg right in the recent history...

So I guess its the "embarassed" part that bothers me.

Why do we have to be off track, I think we just stopped on the side of the road for a few minutes (months), we'll be back on track. Sighs.

I chose the second answer- I think the US is off track (for reasons Jillness listed as well as our hypocritical and double standard foreign policies). With growth and power comes responsibility to not only the nations' citizens but to the rest of the world (especially during the time of globalization). However, thinking so doesn't mean I'm not proud of all we've accomplished and I'm not proud of what we stand for. I do believe in a democracy but I also believe it's not just up to our government to instill one but to each indvidual to live up to the responsibilities of a democratic society.

The U.S. is wonderful in all that it has to provide you. It is one of the few countries where, chances are if you work hard, you will do well. We tend to forget that this isn't quite the reality for most other people in the world.

all these polls are so confusing!!!

BTW Citizen, I love all the varied options! You get a gold star!!

Ha ha, Kris...I wouldn't mind that either! I have a vision of living in a rain forest on one of those houses on stilts and growing my own organic food and making friends with all the animals. I don't care about running water so much, but I HAVE to have my internet.

To say that the US is off track is to assume that there is a "correct" track to begin with. As far as the economy goes, I feel like so much of the country's problems have to do with the irresponsible finance habits of the citizens. So, these 81% of people are probably not taking a look at their own lives; they're just critisizing everyone else.

I chose the first one...but I clicked before I saw the "embarassed" part! I should have chose #2.

And when people say they are embarassed, I don't know if that necessarily means that they are embarassed of America for all time. Perhaps they are just saying that recent actions don't reflect their views. I know that at least half of the country hasn't supported the war for years now, and so when faced with the number of lives lost so far, it is easy to feel dirty for being responsible for that.

To say we are off track is a pretty broad statement. I mean I think we are off track because we are headed towards socialism, other people might think we are off track because of the reasons that Jillness mentioned. The numbers don't surprise me, because there are going to be varied reasons why people think we are going to be on the wrong track, no matter what political party.

Just because people feel that we are off track, I do not think it means that they are not proud of the USA. At least I am proud of my country, even though I think we are going down a dangerous path.

Thats a good point Cine, its not just people on the left who think we are off track, there are people on the right too..... so what does the poll really mean? that no one will every be completely happy?

It's an interesting poll. The follow up should be: What are we going to do about our situation to get it going on the right track again?

#2.

The good thing about where we are now is that an election is coming up, and we as citizens--conservative and liberal--have a chance to put our two cents in about how we feel we can get the country back on the right track. Gotta love democracy, flawed as ours is. At least we have that. Not something a lot of other countries on far worse tracks than ours can say.

I agree with Jillness (and made the same clicking error!). I wanted to ask everyone if being embarrassed about our current path and being proud of our country are mutually exclusive. When I travel abroad (New Zealand, Australia, Europe) I'm a bit embarrassed (though this has gotten better as people seem to hate the U.S. less lately), but that doesn't mean I'm not extremely proud of what the United States stands for in general and over the past two centuries.

The other 19% were Al Qaeda.

I don't think you can be proud and embarassed at the same time.

I think we can be embarassed about our path, but still be proud of our country, or proud that we live in such a free society where we can have an exchange of opinions without fear of retribution. It's like loving your brother the thief, or your sister the " " (Fill in your own statement, I don't want to offend anyone any further). You love them, but hate their actions. You also have to believe that whomever or whatever has embarassed you has the ability to do better. If this is the best America can be, then we are in trouble. I know that it isn't, which is why I feel a pzng of embarrassment

Cabaker--I'm proud, as always, of our potential as a nation and a people, and of the truly great things we have accomplished and continue to accomplish both within our own borders and elsewhere in the world. I'm proud (especially this election cycle) of our interest and involvement in our political system and democracy. I'm proud of many things about our nation, especially what we still stand for both here and abroad.

I am, however, also deeply embarassed and ashamed by many of our government's missteps, mistakes here and abroad, and by the (thankfully, lessening) public's general apathy and/or ignorance towards our own political system and the rest of the world.

So I'm proud and embarassed.

I hear ya guys, I just meant you cant be embarassed as whole and proud as a whole.

But yes, you can be embarassed about some aspects but proud as a whole.

I should have been more clear!

I'm in that 81%, definitely. I'm embarrassed for America - and I have to defend/explain it quite often, living abroad. However, that doesn't mean I reject the principles - far from it, I think the real problem is that we've gotten too far from them. We need to get back to our "roots," as it were. And stop acting like we own the world. We don't.

I'm disappointed that there is so much interest in the elections this year. It's hard for a sleaze like me to get elected when voter apathy is low....

"Just because people feel that we are off track, I do not think it means that they are not proud of the USA. At least I am proud of my country, even though I think we are going down a dangerous path."

I agree. I am proud of our founding documents, proud of my fellow Americans for risking their lives for our freedoms, proud of my fellow Americans for participating in the election system like never before (all parties), proud of my country for helping those in need in Africa, etc.

"However, that doesn't mean I reject the principles - far from it, I think the real problem is that we've gotten too far from them."

I agree!

It would be interesting if the NYT/CBS News Poll had been conducted with a corresponding question to determine if people who think we are off-track feel embarrassed or proud, or some of both, maybe? Citizen - maybe you could help design that poll!

Great line, Baila. It feels to me as though we are a bit adrift.

Oops, I stopped by thinking this was a news and current affairs site. After hearing that song and seeing that poll I guess I'm on the wrong track.

In order to do right one must first do or witness wrong to know what right is. I don't fault our government for making mistakes for with in those mistakes lies seeds of wisdom to do what is right.

I fault them for perpetuating mistakes by yielding better judgment to power, greed, partisanship, and special interests. I find it ironic that our motto encompasses a pride that we are better than this yet too many a blind eye is turned in the name of pride.

You are right Jillness to question the governments attentiveness to the will of the people. With great power comes great responsibility and we as the citizenry must remind them, intelligibly please, who they are responsible to.

There is a quote from a great man who understood what it meant to wield great influence and power. He said "ego get thee beside me, so that I may see more clearly". That man was Jesus, and I would suggest that America put her ego beside her so that she may see more clearly.

Kiki what the heck does that mean?

I guess you won't be around to answer...

I don't get it either cabaker

I know this has been said about 100 times, but I want to say again how awesome it is that we can have these discussionss in a respectful way. I think we're about the only website in the world that can do that. Even though we disagree often, we seem to keep it clean. And I have learned a lot about issues that have even challenged my own way of thinking from commenters on here. So kudos!

And thats about as sensitive as you'll ever hear me get, so I hope you enjoyed it!

I have to go back to being a cold-hearted conservative who only cares about profit now....

Also, I find it interesting that not one person yet voted that they think everything is going great. That goes to show that there is no clear definition of what the "right track" is.

Also, I find it interesting that not one person yet voted that they think everything is going great. That goes to show that there is no clear definition of what the "right track" is.

We read you the first time cabaker. Geeze

I know I'm trigger happy... I'll try to calm down!

Just toss back some Rainbow Jimmies cabaker27, they'll calm you down.

Sorry, I just don't think a news and current affairs site is the place for a cheesy, emotive song about patriotism. By all means report the findings of the CBS poll and ask whether or not people agree, but save the side serving of apple sauce. And maybe acknowledge the presence of non-American readers by including an option that's relevant for them.

I loved the idea of Citizen Sugar when it was launched, and I understand that it is a US based site, but I seldom read it anymore because the stories reported are just too US specific... I could have stomached this one without the song but that really takes the biscuit!

Clearly you are not proud to be an American.

that was a joke, btw.

You could have not played the song.

Embarrassed for my country? Embarrassment is reserved for when your best friend has her period in school or accidentally trips and falls on her face in front of the whole cafeteria. Embarrassment is reserved for when our country looks idiotic through no fault of our own.

The correct phrase is "disgusted by". We have strayed so far from where we started, and so far from where we should be, that it makes me sick to my stomach.

I'm sure at least one person is going to throw the whole "If you hate it, why don't you leave" at me, so to counter your comments ahead of time:

Because I can't. Because I grew up loving America with every ounce of my being and truly believing that my country was the greatest Nation on earth because of what it was founded upon. Because in my heart, I can't leave without knowing I did everything I could to help my country get back to what it used to stand for.

It's like your mom being a coke addict and a prostitute. You're ashamed, you hate her behavior, but at the end of the day, you're not just going to walk out of her door and tell her to "F off" without trying everything you can to get her help.

And unlike most Americans, I *DO* have the luxury of leaving the country if I so choose. My husband is British and if I wanted, I could go live in Britain in a heartbeat.

The government is not entirely to blame for its image. Like I say on my web page "it's not about being perfect, it's about not surrendering", we have surrendered our we