BBC Poll: World wants Obama as president: poll

[WI_DEM]

(now if this country would listen to the world!)

US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may be struggling to nudge ahead of his Republican rival in polls at home, but people across the world want him in the White House, a BBC poll said.

All 22 countries covered in the poll would prefer to see Senator Obama elected US president ahead of Republican John McCain.

In 17 of the 22 nations, people expect relations between the US and the rest of the world to improve if Senator Obama wins.

More than 22,000 people were questioned by pollster GlobeScan in countries ranging from Australia to India and across Africa, Europe and South America.

The margin in favour of Senator Obama ranged from 9 per cent in India to 82 per cent in Kenya, while an average of 49 per cent across the 22 countries preferred Senator Obama compared with 12 per cent preferring Senator McCain. Some four in 10 did not take a view.

"Large numbers of people around the world clearly like what Barack Obama represents," GlobeScan chairman Doug Miller said.

"Given how negative America's international image is at present, it is quite striking that only one in five think a McCain presidency would improve on the Bush administration's relations with the world."

In the United States, three polls taken since the Republican party convention ended on Thursday (local time) show Senator McCain with a lead of 1 to 4 percentage points - within the margin of error - and two others show the two neck-and-neck.

The countries most optimistic that an Obama presidency would improve relations were America's NATO allies, including Australia (62 per cent).

A similar BBC/Globescan poll conducted ahead of the 2004 U.S presidential election found that, of 35 countries polled, 30 would have preferred to see Democratic nominee John Kerry, rather than the incumbent George Bush, who was elected.

A total of 23,531 people in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, the UAE, Britain and the United States were interviewed face-to-face or by telephone in July and August 2008 for the poll.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/09/2360240.htm?section=world

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

1. We were in several European countries in May

Almost every day I wore a pro-Obama or anti-Bush shirt, and so many people came up to me and said they were praying that Obama wins. In Florence I wore my Bush "Worst President Ever" shirt and a Frenchman came up and asked to take my picture and said they HATED him there!

[WI_DEM]

2. The world has so much more sense than this country.

8-years of Bush and people are willing to trust this same gang with another four years?

[AspenRose]

3. Believe it or not

This info would actually make Freeper types dig their heels in harder and deeper because of their xenophobia, distrust of things foreign and their irrational fear of the UN....it only makes Obama more "un-American" in their eyes.

[LeftishBrit]

4. I do believe that...

especially as a Freeper type once called me and a fellow-Brit 'Limey sluts' for voicing an opinion! But they might be informed that Cameron expressed support for McCain (well, that was earlier in the year; maybe Palin would even put him off!) And he's a Bloody Limey too!

[stopbush]

5. The Freepers are hopeless and have been written off.

Freepers being even more pissed at Obama has absolutely no impact on the election or polls. It's just a matter of how much sooner they climb a tower and start shooting their friends and relatives.

[BrklynLib at work]

6. Yes. that is how their twisted minds work. They still cling to this "we can go it alone" idea.

Nothing that would appeal to, or move a rational, involved, caring mind would matter to them. Either they are jingoistic neantherthals, or they figure that the rapture is on its way, and the
world is about to end, so who cares what anyone else thinks...or a combination of the two.

[tblue]

8. Who cares? They are losers. But this might help us w/independents, and that's who decides elections

here.

[dana_b]

7. what's amazing is that so many of them know about

our elections - a detailed knowledge - and the majority of us can't even name their heads of state.

[tblue]

11. I know. It's embarrassing how ignorant so many Americans are. And proud of it.

[nichomachus]

9. You'd probably find the same in the US -- if the polls weren't cooked

[otohara]

10. GOP Will Cheer This

and say fuck the world, we don't care what they want. It's all about us fundie folks and the rest of you all can fuck off.

[Clear Blue Sky]

12. Interesting but irrelevant in deciding this election.

[nichomachus]

17. Well, there is a lot of relevance

In how people outside the country view Americans. For the past eight years, they've cut us an awful lot of slack -- separating Americans for the Bush administration. But if we manage to dive deeper into the cesspool and put McCain and that woman in the White House, that benefit of the doubt may come to a screeching halt. People will only be able to conclude that this is what Americans are like -- and that brush will tar all of us.

People need to wake up and realize that.

[BlooInBloo]

13. Bah. That almost guarantees Obama loses - ROFLMAO!!!

[wvbygod]

14. News flash

Only citizens of America can vote in America's elections.

Not sure how this news helps anyone.

[AspenRose]

19. What a ray of sunshine you are!

Bless your heart!

[wvbygod]

22. More like a realist

I can only see the jingoistic being dragged from their slumber to get out and vote
so these "outsiders" can eat crow. That is how I read it.

[WI_DEM]

21. Hey stupid, I know that. It's just an informational post. Get a life.

[wvbygod]

23. As long as it does not rile up the anti-foreign vote

Some sleeping dogs are best left on the porch.

[Vinca]

15. Did you know the BBC actually reports real news? Knock me over.

A couple of mornings ago I listened to the drivel on Morning Joe for awhile, then the breaking O.J. news on CNN, finally I settled on the BBC news broadcast. They were reporting on stories that never even hit the screen on American news for a second.

[nichomachus]

16. Actually, so does Al Jazeera

I was traveling last year and the only English-language TV news I could get was Al Jazeera in English. I was struck at how fair, balanced, and professional it was.

[FatDave]

18. Now imagine how embarrassed we'll be for our country if we elect McCain.

[AspenRose]

20. Yep