Poll: More Americans would rather meet Lincoln than Washington

With President’s Day approaching, we asked Americans who they would prefer to meet if they could travel back in time — George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. As it turns out, there is a clear favorite: Americans would prefer to meet Abraham Lincoln by a measure of almost two to one. Half of Americans pick Lincoln, while just over quarter pick Washington. Another 23% say they would rather not meet either of them.

This preference cuts across every demographic group. Men and women, young and old, and Americans from all regions of the country all say they would rather meet Abraham Lincoln than George Washington if they could do so. Lincoln is the top choice regardless of political affiliation as well, though Republicans — despite the fact that Lincoln was the first Republican president — lean towards Washington more than either Democrats or independents.

Lincoln is the first choice of both Black and White Americans, and Black Americans would prefer to meet Lincoln over Washington by more than three to one. Four in 10 Black Americans, however, say they would rather not meet either of them.

This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,980 U.S. adult residents interviewed between January 27-31, 2022. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as to 2020 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.4 points.

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