If the Rest of the World Had A Vote, Obama'd Win in a Landslide

Posted by tremayne, Open Left at 4:55 AM on July 15, 2008.

There's been a lull of late in the frequency of state polls of the Obama-McCain race to examine. So, in advance of Barack Obama's international travel, I took a look at public opinion in other countries. In short, most countries would give Obama a landslide victory over McCain:

Belgium: Obama 74%, McCain 12%

Britain: Obama 53%, McCain 11%

France: Obama 65%, McCain 8%

Germany: Obama 72%, McCain 11%

Obama trails McCain in Israel although the gap may be narrowing. A poll in late June showed Israelis support McCain 36% to 27% for Obama. That appears to be an improvement from a month earlier when Obama trailed by 23%. It will be interesting to gauge public opinion there after Obama's trip and after his new comments about Israel.
Follow along for Obama's view of his popularity abroad.

Obama's Popularity Abroad: Asset or Liability?


The political question is, "Does popularity in Europe help or hinder Obama?"  Obama's take on this question is supplied in this interview with Fareed Zakaria:

You know, when I'm doing a town hall meeting in some rural community, invariably, somebody will raise their hand and they'll say, "When are we going to restore the respect that the world had for America?"

And, you know, the American people's instincts are good. It's not just a matter of wanting to be liked. It's the fact that, as a consequence of that diminished standing, we have less leverage on a whole host of critical issues that have to be dealt with.

So, I think the American people are ready for a president who is not alienating the world. And if that president is liked a little bit, well, that's just a bonus.

That's a good message and effective way to counter the certain rightwing spin that Obama's popularity is proof he's an "outsider." Obama covers a lot of ground in the interview including views on Iraq, Iran, Israel, China and other countries. This quote sums up his approach to foreign affairs:

You know, my job is to make sure that, here in the United States, the American people feel confident that I'm going to be advocating for their interests, that I'm going to keep them safe. The way to do that though, I believe, is to make sure that we're paying attention to the rest of the world, their hopes, their aspirations, as well, and that we're leading with our values and ideals, and not just with our military.

In a month where the Obama campaign has inadvertantly (or advertantly) narrowed some differences with McCain, the sharp contrast between Obama's approach and Bush/McCain is welcome.

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Tagged as: obama, mccain, popularity abroad