Americans, and most particularly the Right, hate the French because they're so much like us. They're nationalistic, believe that others should speak their language, and tend to believe in their own exceptionalism. Moreover, they told us that invading Iraq was a bad idea and they were right. The nerve.
I've traveled through France dozens of times and have never had an issue. In fact, I find it a pretty exceptional country - great food, great wine, great art, great skiing, great sights and beautiful women. What's not to like?