These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
Most Believe America Should Still Honor Columbus with National Holiday
Monay, October 11, 2010
It's Columbus Day, and although most Americans say we should continue to honor Christopher Columbus' achievement with a national holiday, not nearly as many consider it the most important.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Adults feel that America should continue to honor Columbus with a national holiday. Just 27% disagree and say we should not devote a national holiday to him, while 15% more are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here .)
These findings show little change from this time last year .
But only nine percent (9%) consider Columbus Day to be one of our nation's most important holidays. Thirty-seven percent (37%) see it as the least important, while roughly half (51%) say it's somewhere in between. These numbers have held relatively steady over the past few years.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 7-8, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology .
Still, an overwhelming 72% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Columbus, including 32% who have a Very Favorable opinion of him. Nineteen percent (19%) hold an unfavorable opinion of the explorer.
Men view Columbus slightly more favorably than women, while adults over the age of 40 view America's founder in a more positive light than younger adults.