A Gallup poll released today asked 824 American adults to list the most admired men and women of 2015.
In the lead among most admired men was President Barack Obama with 17 percent; Pope Francis and Donald Trump tailed him with 5 percent each, which is at least a sign that our national sensibilities are somewhat balanced, in a yin-yang sort of way. Bernie Sanders ranked third with 3 percent of mentions.
Among most admired women, Hillary Clinton led with 13 percent, with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai coming in second with 5 percent, and Oprah Winfrey third with 4 percent.
Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson each made appearances as well, proving one doesn’t have to be ascendant in the polls to win public approval. At the bottom of the men’s list were several blasts from the past: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Billy Graham, suggesting that the utter hell of this election’s primary may be causing Americans to yearn for the hellish elections of yesteryear.