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.
How very puzzling…most significant nations around the world have been electing governments that are more Republican-friendly for years now. Gordon Brown, less friendly toward America than Tony Blair (though hardly hostile, I might add), is likely breathing his last as PM. Even Austrailia’s Labour government is very pro-American.
There’s a disconnect here.
US to world: we don’t recall asking for your opinion.
Yet another reason for me to vote for McCain…
It’s interesting that this article on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation website lists Australia as a NATO member. Otherwise, I’m inclined to paraphrase Henny Youngman’s joke about his wife.
Obama has seemed at times to be running for President of the World, so, given this poll, he should withdraw from the U. S. Presidential race and go sttraight to bigger and better things! 😉
Well, at least (Roman) Catholics in Argentina are praying for Obama… not to win. But the media… oh, the press really love him (and that’s just one more reason why we won’t like him to win).
Given that most of the world has sat back and let the US shoulder the largest share of the fight against terror, I consider their opinions irrelevant.
Obama for Secretary General of the UN!
Given bailing the Euros out of two world wars and resolving Bosnia and Kosovo when the Euros didn’t have either the guts or the army to, among the great many other things the world routinely seems to expect from this country, we don’t owe the world jack, Hoppy.
Ralph, the rest of the world has had to suffer from terrorism. They fight in their own ways, but they choose to spend less on the military.
Jefferson is partially right, but the right wing in most countries is like the Democratic party here. Most of the European businessmen and women I’ve met say, “in my country, I’m a conservative. Here, I feel like a socialist!” It’s all relative.
The demographics indicate that those who don’t vote in this country are those who would typically vote Labor or Socialist in other countries.
They don’t get a vote.
Well, with foreign illegal enemy combatants to receive US Constitutional protections, why not give foreigners the vote?
sarcasm/off
Don
I just came back from four years in the Middle East. All Muslim countries hate Bush and want Obama, with the probable exceptions of Iraq and Afghanistan. I wonder why . . .?
23,500 odd is not really a very large poll spread over 23 countries. Quite a large proportion was by telephone so depending on when it was done were people phoned at home? In these ways polls can be difficult if you are selecting e.g. the 6 in 10 people who have a telephone but are not at work who could be bothered to express a preference.
I also thought some of the conclusions did not necessarily result from the figures as emphatically as made out. Election of a President is a matter for the US alone; they have to live with their choice.
It is very easy to criticize the big boy on the block when he makes mistakes. It’s much harder to sholder his responsibilities and not make any mistakes yourself.
I’ll put the “American Empire” (circa 1945 forward) against any other “Empire” in history for moral and ethical behavior and for the civil rights and freedoms guaranteed to citizens and “subjects” (citizens/subjects of client states) alike.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Hmm. The world doesn’t like us because…I’m going to take a guess here, because we try to throw our weight around influencing other countries to do what we want. That is the basic stereotype of those who resent us worldwide, is it not? So why then should we let other countries influence us in our election of a President?
Did the poll mention how the world feels about Putin and his sock puppet Medvedev? They don’t like us and they don’t like the current president of the US. Do they think that the junior senator will stand with them at crunch time? Do they think he has any credible plan to combat terrorism?
You know what? In the final analysis…I don’t care what they think. I really don’t. The rest of the world can solve their own problems as far as I am concerned. Tsunami? Too bad, so sad, help yourselves. Is the rogue bear on the prowl? Too bad, so sad, help yourselves. Is Persia about to launch on it’s neighbors near and far? Too bad, so sad, help yourselves. The world hates us for our charity, for our blood spilled for their freedom, for our rebuilding them after the last world war. They hate us for standing up to the evil empire. They want their socialist chains. Let them have their old world problems. This is America. It’s about time we started taking care of our own first. No more foreign aid. No more NAFTA or GAT. No more NATO or UN. We can thrive on our own and we have the nukes to keep everyone else at bay. Let them wither on their own vines and quit sucking the life from our country. We can do just fine without them. If they want to trade with us, that’s fine. If they want our help…too bad. The oceans are deep and wide…let the rest of the world fend for themselves. We have coal, oil, natural gas, fertile soil, abundant crops, clean water and lots of land. We are the most industrious, inventive, and productive people on the planet. The rest of the world can pound sand.
I
Remember when we were kids, and the other kids would make fun of us for something -or-other, or threaten to beat us up at the bus stop or make fun of us because we wore last year’s converse sneakers or had to wear glasses or braces?
Our moms would usually say things like “Oh, don’t pay attention to them. It’s not important what other people think about you, or what everyone else is doing. What’s important is that you are YOU, and that makes you special. So just ignore everyone else. They’re just jealous of you anyway!”
Good advice then, good advice now.
Sick and Tired, I’m with you! And y’know what? I’m not crazy about the UN, either!
Just giving information here: the Costa Rican people I’ve met and gotten to know really like Obama and hope he will be the next POTUS.
Connie
(moving to Costa Rica on October 1)
#22 – “the world wants the US to listen and to lead.”
It seems those two demands cancel each other out. Your friend btw is simply deluding himself – I have lived abroad for a good chunk of my life, and all the Presidents, all of them, came in for criticism for listening to their own constituents and not responding to the wishes of foreigners. Bush is certainly worse than most, but none were thought of well (Clinton was roundly denounced often in Germany, he was only popular when he was seen to be flouting the prudish sexual mores of the backwards American people…), and Obama would invariably disappoint as well.
Not that he’s going to be President, mind you.
Free bumper sticker for the Republicans:
“Annoy the French: Elect McCalin!”
Clinton was very popular internationally.
There is no contradiction between leading and listening, except when a president chooses not to listen. Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, and even Reagan had plenty of back-channels to people who thought differently. Bush has burned all those bridges.
I think those who still support Bush don’t quite realize how altogether mediocre his leadership is. But I suspect, there could be plenty of evidence and it wouldn’t change their minds.
I will say that there are Republicans who could have done things differently. I would have not liked them, but Bush is different. By all accounts he does not know how to understand people who think differently than he does. He requires people to agree with him.
But yes, Obama will disappoint foreigners. He might, however, allow their governments to remain allies without costing them elections.
CharlesB, I met a guy here in Egypt who wants McCain — “because of the woman.” Of course, he’s a Copt, not Muslim.
Your memory is poor John. We came in much bashing worldwide during his administration, our misbegotten Balkans policy, blowing up aspirin factories in Sudan, our failure to do anything about Rwanda, our treatment of Russia after the disintegration of the USSR (and the seeds for the evil fruit that just ripened in Georgia were planted and nurtured during his time), to name a few. You’ll get no argument from me on what a bad president GWB has been, but from my foreign perches where I lived during nearly all of the Clinton presidency, the US was not particularly well thought of, and Clinton not particularly popular except when he got in sexual trouble.
The point about allied governments being put out of power thanks to GWB though is rather overwrought – 8 years later and Labour still rules the UK (though perhaps not for long, and not for reasons having that much to do with Bush), Howard left Australia only last year and pretty much for domestic reasons, and Berlusconi is back in power in Rome. There was Aznar in Spain, who was traded in for an elf, it’s true. But consider also that two allies most stridently opposed to Iraq, France and Germany, despite popular anti-Iraq policies, shed their leaders and replaced them with leaders much more favorably disposed to the US. Of course, Bush had nothing to do with that, but the point that he caused Western government to collapse as a consequence for their support is rather much, too. Try not to be so America-centric in your judgments of foreign politics.
think those who still support Bush don’t quite realize how altogether mediocre his leadership is.
Yeah. And, as Bob Woodward in his latest inciteful book reveals, Bush ignored all the advice around him telling him the Surge wouldn’t work and stubbornly went with it anyways. Dumbasss! And then the Surge ends up working and he smugly thinks he has something to brag about. Arrogant dumbass!
:-
I have stood in the field of crosses and stars of David just a few yards back from Omaha Beach. Present-day Europe, to a large degree, exists today as it does because of those crosses and stars, and the men who lay under them. Those are American men. Europe ought to go there and stand, once in awhile. And then they ought to shut up.
Matt, umm. last I heard we were voting for either Obama or McCain, not Obama or Bush. Given those two choices, I do not see how any responsible person could by any stretch of the imagination believe that Obama is a better choice. Obama is popular in the Middle East because they believe he will pull out of Iraq immediately and give up trying to promote democracy in the region. They believe he is soft and easy. I have lived in the Middle East a total 12 years, how about you?
Chris, did you mean [i]inciteful[/i] or [i]insightful[/i]? Your version implies the book was agitprop.
Matt, I know because I was there and heard them talking excitedly about Obama. And this was before he had won the Democratic nomination and before McCain was even perceived as a front-runner. The like him because they see him as a Muslim. Once a Muslim, always a Muslim. And they think he is weak and will be easy to run over.
#31. jkc1945 – a great many of us do with gratitude.
Whoever is elected they are likely to find that they are promptly presented with an issue where someone decides to test their resolve, whether it is Libya, Iran, Russia or some other state or group.
#38
I’d say your New Zealand “friend” is quite naive if he pines away for a say-so in our politics just b/c he thinks our policies influence things in his country. What happens in China affects us so should I expect to be able to pick up the phone and call Beijing to give’em what for? I mean, sorry but your friend sounds like a real whiner.
Matt, I really can’t carry on, as I am supposed to be at work. I was employed by US companies working full time in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with numerous business trips to the Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar. I have may close friends who have worked in and served in Iraq. I had many local acquaintances at all levels, from drivers to top managers. They all want Obama, except of course Israel, Iraq and Afghanistan. I wonder why? We all are entitled to our own opinion. But where do most people get their information? Mainstream media? If elected, Obama will be immediately tested. The Middle East and OPEC see Obama as weak, and they will eat him alive in weeks. He and the USA will look the total fool. But I must stop fooling with this, so I will say best wishes and good-bye on this topic.
Matt Thompson, I am in Cairo now; my husband works with a nearly 100% Muslim staff, managing a couple of large manufacturing operations. Our landlord is an educated Muslim to whom we talk often, and we have other Muslim friends as well. I agree with CharlesB on what he heard about Obama and why they favor Obama here.
It’s simple. The rest of the world is largely governed by socialist regimes of various hues. Of course they want another socialist running the USA. I really think that the rest of the world’s favoring of Sen. Obama is a plus for Sen. McCain. Much as I love Europe, I couldn’t stand to live there with all of the control the state exercises over the lives of their citizens in the EU.
“Try not to be so America-centric in your judgments of foreign politics.”
Tridentine, I stand corrected. And yes, your sophistication trumps my generalities. I will admit error in the details here.
However, I think that GWB did take our foreign policy – and standing in the world – to new lows, and don’t think I’d have to look hard to find evidence. If anything, the article is evidence enough.
Regarding CharlesB’s comment at #41, there are some serious [url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/2575395/British-anti-Americanism-based-on-misconceptions.html]misunderstandings around the world when it comes to the United States[/url]. Some it can be attributed to political and philosophical disagreement, but much of it is plain ignorance or misinformation. Unfortunately, the political left in the US shares many of these same misunderstandings.
Ok, one more comment. And, Hi, Katherine. Hope you are well. Many Middle Easterners have not a clue what America is like, how free, how peaceful, how kind and generous most people are. I had one Egyptian coworker ask when he was sending his son to go to college in America what kind of paperwork and permits he would need to go from state to state. He was astounded to learn that nothing was needed, and most likely no one would notice or care where his son went, when and why 24/7. He just couldn’t believe it. He was worried about safety, that people all had guns. I reassured him that his son would be just fine and he had little if anything to worry about for safety. Just stay out of downtown Detroit.
Notice to most of the rest of the world..”Thanks for you opinions – they have been duly noted and deposited in the proper File 13 basket. Also stay out of our face!!” In case you haven’t forgotten; America was the arsenal of freedom that got most of the democratic world back on it’s feet..” Anyone remember the Marshal Plan??
Betcha that Karl Rove is behind this poll.
Much of the world doesn’t quite have a very comprehensive view of the US. I will have to agree with that, as someone who can be safely associated with the vague “left” (although I admit, I’m not exactly sure what this means to those on the right, except that I’m probably some sort of tyrannical baby-killer).
Clearly, they have stereotypes of the US, just as we have stereotypes about Muslims or Europeans. In fact, I would note the clear anti-european bias on this very thread.
Evan repeats the false claim that Obama is a socialist. He is more likely a “libertarian paternalist” or a “behavioralist.” If you want to know more, Evan, here are a couple snippets:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_08/014354.php
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21491 (a better, more comprehensive one if you’ve got the college degree).
You might learn something.
Thank God they don’t have a vote.
Hi, CharlesB. I was thinking of you this evening while I was on the dinner cruise on the Nile Maxim. I enjoy watching Cairo lights and the small boats and feluccas. Everything is lit up for Ramadan. Some strange fast: fast all day, party all night.
I’ve been getting a fair understanding of some other cultures the past few years, and I’ve long been familiar with Europeans. Don’t y’all think it would be nice if they would try a little harder to understand us, rather than just sneering? They’re nice people, but we’re nice people too, and more individually charitable than many Europeans and others. Respect goes both ways.
Hi, Katherine. We are now in Michigan, due to family priorities,and for the most part enjoying things. (But winter is not far away.) I am amazed at the naivete of most Americans about others. But I have been blessed with work that has taken me to the four corners of the world. I find most people easy to get along with individually, but difficult when we group them (and us) into demographic groups. Regardless, I cannot fathom any responsible adult who would place the mightiest nation in the world under Obama over McCain. Frankly, I think our system needs to be revamped. If these are the best two candidates we can come up with . . ..
CharlesB, what do you suggest we do?
Cennydd, well, since you asked. I am 62+, various college degrees, a happily married grandfather, international businessman, a sinner and totally surrendered Christian, so my views are not mainstream.
Energy: Very simple. Pick a date, any date, in the future. Doesn’t matter when. Issue an Executive Order that as of [that date], no petrochemicals will be allowed to be used to produce electricity in the USA. All electricity needs must be met by some other source. Industry will solve the problem, with plenty left over for transportation, the fundamental use for petrochemicals. Saudi Arabia can drink their oil when they get thirsty. BTW: Hey, USA, listen up! A long as gas is over $3.00/gal, we have an unlimited supply. Get over it. Smile, be happy.
Unemployment: It will take time for the excess inventory in housing to be absorbed by population, but eventually it will. Just do this until then: Implement government programs to fix infrastructure projects (e.g., roads, bridges, government buildings, electrical power generation, etc.) using only companies that will employ displaced construction industry workers. Sounds Democrat-ish (FDR??), but let’s TEMPORARILY get these folks back to work. As construction goes, industry goes. Really, folks, our roads are awful, and we could use some work on them right now. Anybody driven down Van Dyke in Detroit lately??
Peace in the Middle East: Here is the short version. We as Westerners should not expect what we call peace. The best that will ever be achieved is what we might call a “Mexican stand-offâ€. Everybody armed and loaded, but nobody pulling the trigger. First, sorry, Israel, Jerusalem must become an independent, gun-free City-State, along the lines of the Vatican, governed by a board. (I wonder if the Swiss Guard does subcontracts??) I’ll not go into details. Palestine must be given land, really good land, and those displaced must be compensated VERY generously (millions, each faamily!). The money for this compensation comes from OPEC countries, thereby increasing their stake in maintaining peace. After a generation or two, who knows . . .
For the Presidential election: Pray, pray, pray.
Sorry for getting on my soap box. PAX
Folks need to review the record of Jimmy Carter and his foreign policy “successes”, and other “accomplishments.” I tend to regard Obama as running Carter’s second term. Those of us who remember how disasterous that period of our history was. One of the reasons our history with Iran is so poor begins with Carter and his diplomatic missteps.
Obama and the people who are pushing him( media and other socialist/liberals) are now beginning to show their true colors – its getting ugly out there and Obama is beginning to stutter a lot without the teleprompter.
I’m kind of surprised that people complain that Obama “stutters.” He thinks through questions. In a Media driven election, people who try to think seriously about questions are at a loss.
Those who have immediate sound bites will have the upper hand. What Obama did was force people to listen to speeches far beyond what the media (the LIBERAL media) thought people were capable of. Obama has raised the level of debate, challenging liberals – and conservatives. At least, those conservatives who take the time to listen to Obama, and not just Obama’s detractors.
Personally, when Obama says “um” I’m thinking, “he’s trying to take this question seriously. He’s not just going to give a rehearsed answer.” Its the sort of character who is more interested in governing well, than simply winning a campaign.
With all due, respect, John, Obama is hopeless without his teleprompter. Some see stuttering as thoughtfulness. It might just be a case of being untethered from the comfortable, well-rehearsed words of bottomless ambiguity that he, admittedly, delivers well in a controlled setting.
And we have a long history of dismissing Europe. Our Founding Fathers used it primarily as a bad example.
Stuttering is a specific speech pathology which Obama doesn’t have. I would call what he does “hemming and hawing,” that is, using a lot of filler words while he searches for an answer. Sometimes he never finds an answer at all and the sentences just wander around and end. But stuttering, no.
Yeah, pretty much. I don’t get any points for pointing out that Obama doesn’t “stutter?”
On topic, opinion polls taken in foreign countries about our domestic election have zero application to how Americans should vote.
Matt, 🙂
The discussion we had some time ago about trying to be civil and accurate in church disputes could be applied to the political realm now. Nobody is listening, however.
#65
Bravo Katherine. Game, set, match.
Matt, in fairness to all sides, political candidates are people, and as people they’ve got characters and problems. To a certain extent, character is a valid issue in a political campaign, as are the candidates’ personal histories and belief systems, within the limits that such histories and belief systems have a valid bearing on the ability to perform the duties of the office or what that performance would consist of. I would like to see people focus on essentials and leave unnecessary ugliness behind, but, like you, I’m pessimistic that we’ll get there.
But at Christmas I’ll sing a carol in your direction.
Is this the same world that [url=http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-35417520080910]can’t quite figure out[/url] that al Qaeda was responsible for 9-11?
#60 – “hopeless” without his teleprompter?
Not at all. He answers well, and without a media driven answer. People like George Bush ensure that nobody will ask them hard questions in the first place – count how many times he’s allowed himself to be questioned by an antagonistic media….
Not that often. And he [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fze2J2Ve9is] gets petulant[/url] when he is.
Obama puts himself in situations of conflict that Bush rarely did. For good reasons: Bush didn’t have the abilities to answer the questions well.