RubySoho
Winston
Surprise Surprise: The Whole World Wants Obama To Beat McCain
September 11th 2008 03:18
In a massive international survey polling 22,500 people across 22 countries, the BBC World Service
has found that outside of the US, respondents preferred an Obama Presidency over a McCain one by a ratio of 4 to 1.
Participants were asked if they preferred Obama or McCain, whether they thought relations between the US and the rest of the world would improve or worsen under either Obama or McCain and whether the election of an African-American would profoundly change their perception of America.
The results in a nutshell:
Obama win preferred in world poll
In 17 countries, the most common view was that US relations with the rest of the world would improve under Mr Obama.
If Republican Mr McCain were elected, the most common view was that relations would remain about the same.
The margin of those in favour of Mr Obama winning November's US election ranged from 9% in India to 82% in Kenya, which is the birthplace of the Illinois senator's father.
On average 49% preferred Mr Obama to 12% in favour of Mr McCain. Nearly four in 10 of those polled did not take a view.
On average 46% thought US relations with the world would improve with Mr Obama in the White House, 22% that ties would stay the same, while seven per cent expected relations to worsen.
Only 20% thought ties would get better if Mr McCain were in the Oval Office.
The expectation that a McCain presidency would improve US relations with the world was the most common view, by a modest margin, only in China, India and Nigeria.
But across the board, the largest number - 37% - thought relations under a president McCain would stay the same, while 16% expected them to deteriorate.
In no country did most people think that a McCain presidency would worsen relations.
Australia was one of the countries that most strongly favoured an Obama victory with a staggering 67% preferring an Obama victory versus 13% for McCain:
"If Obama were elected president, a majority of Australians (62%) say America’s relations with the rest of the world would improve, 19 per cent say they would stay about the same, and 5 per cent say that they would become worse.
Under a McCain presidency, Australians most frequently say these relations would not change (45%), though 21 per cent say they would improve and 15 per cent say they would worsen.
Most Australians (59%) say that their perception of the US would fundamentally change if Barack Obama, an African-American man, were to be elected president; 30 per cent disagree."
Overall, 46% of participiants said the election of Obama would "fundamentally change" their perception of the US whilst 27% it would not.
The most curious statistic comes from Turkey "where more people thought US relations would worsen with an Obama presidency than under Mr McCain, even though most Turks polled preferred Mr Obama to win". I guess we can only conclude that many Turks don't want to have have good relations with the US. Odd.
Interestingly, in a similar poll conducted before the 2004 election, 30 out 35 countries surveyed said they would prefer a John Kerry victory over a George W. Bush one. Among the five that leaned towards Bush, three of them - Nigeria, Poland and The Philippines- now prefer an Obama victory.
It is worth noting that this survey was conducted before the conventions and well before McCain's nomination of Palin as his running mate. We can only speculate on what effect, if any, this would have had on the results, though my personal opinion is that the similarity of Palin's views and policies to that of the outgoing, most unpopular President in the history of the USA, would not sit well with many people. Particularly, her comments that America's troops in Iraq were on "a task that is from God." Yeah, keep talking Sarah. Please.
But of course, this is the USA's election. Not ours. All we can do is sit and watch and hope the American public doesn't make the wrong choice...again.
You can download the entire survey results form the link above.
-Ruby
has found that outside of the US, respondents preferred an Obama Presidency over a McCain one by a ratio of 4 to 1.
Participants were asked if they preferred Obama or McCain, whether they thought relations between the US and the rest of the world would improve or worsen under either Obama or McCain and whether the election of an African-American would profoundly change their perception of America.
The results in a nutshell:
Obama win preferred in world poll
In 17 countries, the most common view was that US relations with the rest of the world would improve under Mr Obama.
If Republican Mr McCain were elected, the most common view was that relations would remain about the same.
The margin of those in favour of Mr Obama winning November's US election ranged from 9% in India to 82% in Kenya, which is the birthplace of the Illinois senator's father.
On average 49% preferred Mr Obama to 12% in favour of Mr McCain. Nearly four in 10 of those polled did not take a view.
On average 46% thought US relations with the world would improve with Mr Obama in the White House, 22% that ties would stay the same, while seven per cent expected relations to worsen.
Only 20% thought ties would get better if Mr McCain were in the Oval Office.
The expectation that a McCain presidency would improve US relations with the world was the most common view, by a modest margin, only in China, India and Nigeria.
But across the board, the largest number - 37% - thought relations under a president McCain would stay the same, while 16% expected them to deteriorate.
In no country did most people think that a McCain presidency would worsen relations.
Australia was one of the countries that most strongly favoured an Obama victory with a staggering 67% preferring an Obama victory versus 13% for McCain:
"If Obama were elected president, a majority of Australians (62%) say America’s relations with the rest of the world would improve, 19 per cent say they would stay about the same, and 5 per cent say that they would become worse.
Under a McCain presidency, Australians most frequently say these relations would not change (45%), though 21 per cent say they would improve and 15 per cent say they would worsen.
Most Australians (59%) say that their perception of the US would fundamentally change if Barack Obama, an African-American man, were to be elected president; 30 per cent disagree."
Overall, 46% of participiants said the election of Obama would "fundamentally change" their perception of the US whilst 27% it would not.
The most curious statistic comes from Turkey "where more people thought US relations would worsen with an Obama presidency than under Mr McCain, even though most Turks polled preferred Mr Obama to win". I guess we can only conclude that many Turks don't want to have have good relations with the US. Odd.
Interestingly, in a similar poll conducted before the 2004 election, 30 out 35 countries surveyed said they would prefer a John Kerry victory over a George W. Bush one. Among the five that leaned towards Bush, three of them - Nigeria, Poland and The Philippines- now prefer an Obama victory.
It is worth noting that this survey was conducted before the conventions and well before McCain's nomination of Palin as his running mate. We can only speculate on what effect, if any, this would have had on the results, though my personal opinion is that the similarity of Palin's views and policies to that of the outgoing, most unpopular President in the history of the USA, would not sit well with many people. Particularly, her comments that America's troops in Iraq were on "a task that is from God." Yeah, keep talking Sarah. Please.
But of course, this is the USA's election. Not ours. All we can do is sit and watch and hope the American public doesn't make the wrong choice...again.
You can download the entire survey results form the link above.
-Ruby
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Comment by alt_ed
Alted Opinion
ArtCombat
The Inner Saintdom
God, why couldn't Obama be running for office in oz?
Comment by RubySoho
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Thought Zone
Yeah, especially in Palin's little corner of it. I do think it's less a case of how wonderful Obama is and more about how unliked the Republicans are though...
Comment by alt_ed
Alted Opinion
ArtCombat
The Inner Saintdom
Comment by RubySoho
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Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
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Comment by Jeff Musall
Comment by RubySoho
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*snort*
You know when I heard Palin make that pit bull lipstick crack, my first thought was how similar it was to the lipstick on a pig line and wondered why she said it. Now I know. How long have they been planning this I wonder?
And they have the nerve to accuse of Obama of smearing. The only thing that stops it from being funny is the fact that so many fall for it.
Hi Jeff. Seriously, I think America needs to become two countries.
There is just no other way.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
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Movie Train
like seriously, how dumb do they think women are? that a women cant discern what constitutes real sexiam and what doesnt? his comments didnt even mention her in any way shape or form . . . if i was a woman in america even considering McCain i would now refuse to vote Republican based on their gross estimation of all women!
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by RubySoho
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Who is "we"?
If you read the article you would see that in the survey, the vast majority of people in 22 countries across the globe prefer to see an Obama presidency.
Hi Morgan, hey there are some women out there that think you can be "pro-life" and still call yourself a feminist, so I wouldn't be surprised. But really, my theory is that McCain isn't really going after the real feminists so much as the ultra religious who were not going to vote at all and the idiots who think that all women are the same, even Hillary and Sarah so you may as well vote for either one. Even though one of them champions women and the other betrays them. I'll leave you to work out who is who...haha.
Comment by Jeff Musall
Comment by RubySoho
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