While most polls focus on how the international community views America, Harris Interactive continues their poll that shows how America views our allies and our enemies.
Some of the data shows a resentment towards nations that abandoned us during the current Iraq War, while some of the data shows many Americans woefully ignorant of our true allies.
All in all the Harris Poll is very informative.
France has moved from one of the strongest allies in the eyes of Americans to one of the least favored nations mentioned in the survey. In 2002, France was 8th. Now France is 16th with only 17% of Americans viewing the nation as a close ally, while 31% view them as not friendly to America and 10% see them as an enemy.
A surprising thing was the height of Canada on the survey. I would have thought they would have dropped from second, especially with the close relationship we have formed with Australia (3 in the survey) and the lack of encouragement we have received from them.
Also, how in the world is Mexico 6th, when they actively encourage people to break our laws and do nothing to help us curtail terrorists coming into our country?
Contrary to your assumptions, many citizens who live near the borders have favorable opinions of the people across from them, especially those who cross daily in the course of their work. Secondly, maybe one should separate government/state from opinions about the citizens. I work with many international students who love America and Americans, but loathe our politics. Third, most research shows that most Americans are unaware, or uncaring about the smuggling of tobacco and guns that goes from the US to both Canada and Mexico. Perhaps border policies are even-steven, and people are left simply with rough impressions. That, or people being surveyed remember their Spring Breaks in Cancun and those warm feeling emerge.
This poll was specifically about the governments, not about the people. It is all about policy and has nothing to do with the actual citizens of a nation.
It doesn't matter what the poll was about, from a technical standpoint. Survey data is only consistent with aggregating perceptions. I don't think it's realistic to argue that asking the average person their impression of alliances can be isolated to one aspect or the other.