Most Americans are ashamed of this presidential election

Over the course of four months, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have battled it out to the bitter end, the winner of which will only be declared Tuesday night. But the war of political attrition has left Americans feeling rather ashamed, a Wall Street Journal/NBC survey reveals.

Nearly two-thirds of adults said that the 2016 presidential campaign made them less proud to be American, and around 60 percent said they didn't like either choice of candidate. Only 7 percent of Americans said the presidential election made them more proud; 28 percent said there was no difference.

By comparison, only 28 percent of voters said they didn't like either choice of candidate in 2012, when Barack Obama was running against Mitt Romney. And in 2008, the election made 34 percent of Americans feel more proud, and just 12 percent less proud.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"Our poll shows that no one feels good about this election, and that a sizable number may not accept the outcome," said Democratic pollster Fred Yang, who worked with Republican pollster Bill McInturff on the Wall Street Journal/NBC poll.