World poll backs Obama for the White House by four to one
The perception that Barack Obama is more likely than John McCain to bring peace and harmony to the world has been backed resoundingly by a poll of 22,500 people across 22 countries conducted by the BBC World Service. The Democrat was favoured by a margin of 4-1 over the Republican.
In 17 countries surveyed, the most common view was that America's relations with the rest of the world would improve under Obama. If McCain were elected, the most common view in 19 countries was that relations would remain about the same. Only in China, India and Nigeria was it thought that a McCain presidency would improve US relations.
Among the countries most optimistic that Obama would improve ties were America's Nato allies - Canada (69 per cent), Italy (64 per cent), France
(62 per cent), Germany (61 per cent), and the UK (54 per cent).
Writing for The First Post today, Peregrine Worsthorne argues that attention should be paid to the views of Britain and other US allies when it comes to choosing an American President.
"The old idea that this would constitute foreign interference in America¹s domestic affairs is utterly out of date," he writes. "If America expects us to follow their lead, the least they can do is to allow us to have some say in whom they choose as leader.
"That is why septuagenarian John McCain's - whose health is dicey - choice for his vice-presidential running mate is so utterly inexcusable. For the reckless risk in appointing someone whom he had only met once before is not only America's risk, but ours as well."
The poll was conducted by Globescan before the recent Democratic and Republican conventions and the announcements of Joe Biden and Sarah Palin as vice-presidential candidates. It is possible therefore that the headline struggle between Obama and Clinton for the Democratic nomination skewed the results.
In a parallel survey of 1,000 adults in America itself, 22 per cent polled for the BBC expected relations with the rest of the world to improve under McCain while 46 per cent thought things would get better with Obama in the Oval Office.
FIRST POSTED SEPTEMBER 10, 2008
Peregrine Worsthorne's article in full
BBC: Obama win preferred in world poll
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As an ex-pat Brit here in the USA, I am always saddened by two things; 1- the liberal, anti Republican press both here and in the UK, and 2- the anti USA press in the UK. I hope I can see both sides after living here for eight years, and can assure the British people that the vast majority of Americans I have met have been pleasant, well mannered, kind, and considerate, and of moderate political views. Generally, many of them don't have a grasp of life outside the USA, which is what the foreign press jump on. When you realise the USA spans six time zones, contains every weather zone, from tropical to Arctic, volcanoes to glaciers, most Americans don't need to go abroad for anything. So, they don't get that broadening of the mind that a lot of Euro tavellers get. What Brits also don't get is that even though Pres. Bush isn't a good public speaker, like John McCain, the US generally likes patriotic, conservative leaders. Sadly, Congress is always about 50/50 Democrat and Republican, and has polarised terribly into name calling and personal attacks, instead of doing what's best for the nation. The nation also seems to be about 50/50 Democrats and Republicans as well. The political system here is convoluted and cumbersome, leading to...nothing. If McCain is elected, he probably won't have a majority in Congress, so may not be able to do much. If Obama is elected, he'll find it hard to change anything, as he has only been in the system about two years and can't have many friends and networks to help him. The likely result is stalemate either way, just the way it often is over here. How sad. Sarah Palin has stumbled the Democrats as she's not a part of the Washington cronyism, so it will be amusing to see what happens next. Her appeal is just that; she's not in any of the old boys clubs, or lobbyist cliques that we all know really run the country. Watch this space.
Posted by Leslie Levi at 3:44pm on September 12, 2008
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