Obama wins France, Italy, Germany, & Spain in Poll; Clinton wins England

What do our foreign friends think about our Presidential race?

The French, Italians, Spanish and Germans would "vote" for Barack Obama in the US presidential elections - although the British would prefer Hillary Clinton.

An FT/Harris poll of more than 5,000 Europeans found that the two Democratic candidates were by far the most popular, with Mr Obama winning between 35 per cent of the "vote" in Spain and 45 per cent in Italy.

But in the UK Mrs Clinton edged out Mr Obama by a margin of 28 per cent to 23 per cent.

On the Republican side, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani were the two most popular candidates (Mr Giuliani, who was particularly strong in Italy, has -subsequently pulled out of the race).

http://www.ft.com/...

I've always been curious about what people in other countries think about our Presidential race. I'm surprised Clinton isn't faring better in this poll. Wasn't Bill beloved around most of the world?

I'd love to hear what our foreign Kos members are hearing on the ground in their countries.

•  tips/recs

  So what are our foreign friends hearing on the ground?

  by LizzyPop on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:00:11 AM PDT

•  WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO DEMOCRATS ABROAD???

  They were supposed to report their results last Tuesday... what gives???

  by jeroly on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:02:47 AM PDT

  •  I was wondering that myself....

    When I heard the report, I thought that's what they were referring to at first.

    by LizzyPop on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:04:37 AM PDT

  •  Feb 21st

    Democrats abroad results will be reported feb 21st.

    by Progressive America on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:08:19 AM PDT

    •  thanks so much for the update! eom

      by jeroly on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 12:20:33 PM PDT

•  Laughing at myself

  From reading your title, I expected a snark diary. So many poll diaries. It must be getting to me.

  by OrdinaryGal on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:07:17 AM PDT

•  Obama

  I have a few friends abroad and they tell me he's quite a phenomenon. My friend in Denmark has even bought a campaign sign and has it as his facebook profile.

  In Germany they view him as the black John Kennedy. If Obama is elected, we will have someone the world respects again.

  by Progressive America on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:07:36 AM PDT

•  Tricksy Eurotrash...

  ...want the precious to pass back to them.

  by Salo on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:07:45 AM PDT

•  The posh people here still

  do not really buy the possibility of a President Obama. Many university folks -- liberal types -- favour Obama as opposed to Clinton. But the papers are paying attention though. It's funny how newscasters here pronounce 'Barack Obama'. LOL!

  But for the most part, people who are watching absolutely want a Democratic President. I understand David Cameron likes Obama.

  I'm an Obama guy myself.

  by The British Observer on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:09:14 AM PDT

•  Allora é ufficiale . . .

  . . . Italia non si importa.

  by jamesparenti on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:12:17 AM PDT

•  The Continentals think Iraq an abomination

  Therefore, HRC's vote giving GWB the power to invade disgusted them. Obama's early speech against the war lets them know he thinks like they do--ie, that overt colonialism, no matter how much of a thrill it used to give us, is disgusting (secret deals--another matter).

  Also, The French see the US as such a racist country that the voting for Obama would give them a great deal of pleasure--Americans (not their gov) are really beloved in Europe, for the freedom of our rock, jazz, laughter, pie-eyed optimism, spacious skies, role in WWII, etc, and people WANT to like the US. (The French are only starting to deal with their own racism vis a vis les Arabes, who they can have plenty of sympathy for when they're not competing for jobs with "real" Frenchmen.)

  Therefore, for foreign policy (snity) reasons and the same Obamamania we have here, they want him.  They loved JFK too--it's the same idea of a young and idealistic leader.

  by MmeVoltaire on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:14:38 AM PDT

  •  The folks in my village....

    ...aren't really aware of Obama yet, as a rule. In fact, people aren't focused on the US elections yet, even though our local rag, LA DEPECHE DU MIDI, has offered reasonable coverage, including a full page on Super Tuesday.

    The American Presidents known and admired by the French are FDR, Kennedy (many streets or squares named in their honor) and Bill Clinton.

    Bush is either widely loathed or held in contempt; my experience is that Iraq (common wisdom: war for oil) wasn't the turning point in the tipping over of America's image. The French I spoke to were against the war and didn't buy the neocons' propaganda, but could somehow cynically accept it, though they all think it's a grave mistake.  

    The tipping point here was Katrina, or rather the impotence and/or unwillingness of the US Government to help its citizenry. People here couldn't reconcile the facts with their image of America.

    But I digress.

    Obama isn't really on the radar yet, as far as I can tell.

    by Lupin on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 08:56:52 AM PDT

•  We just got back

  from a vacation in Rome, Athens and Munich.  In Rome we had some great discussions with people and all seemed to be pro-Obama.  As a matter of fact when we were first picked up from the airport, one of the first things the driver said was "America..Yes We Can!", and this, even with the problems they are having.

  In Athens we talked to several people who were also pro-Obama.  One women talked alot about how he really would change the world, and in her opinion, for at least the first 4 years.  She thought he would then be just another politian.

  Everyone in both places seemed excited about Obama.

  In Munich we didn't really talk to any locals about politics (long story), BUT near a huge beer-garden on a what we assumed was a yield sign was a Ron Paul for President bumper sticker.

  by housesella on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:19:53 AM PDT

•  Obama also wins in

  Obama, Japan

  by dagnabbit on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:20:01 AM PDT

•  I cannot express with words

  what a President Obama would do for foreign relations.

  by The British Observer on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:24:15 AM PDT

•  Obama in the German press

  Interesting article in Der Spiegel last week.

  Here's the cover:

  

  Click to enlarge.

  It says "The Messiah Factor:  Barack Obama And The Longing For A New America".

  There are similarly-themed articles in the Dutch media.

  Just a taste of what Europe is saying about Obama.

  by Plutonium Page on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:32:50 AM PDT

  •  should have said "two countries"

    Not "Europe", lol.

    It's just interesting that they're taking that viewpoint, don't you think?

    And Spiegel isn't a right wing publication, just fyi.

    by Plutonium Page on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:34:29 AM PDT

•  ...but Obama has yet to win the U.S."

  "...let alone his party's nomimation..."

  These wee little facts were overlooked, in the round-the-world news sweep.

  by dcrolg on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:48:14 AM PDT

•  There is massive interest in Canada

  where any Democrat would win by 3 or 4 to 1. The interest is there this time especially because Canadians is deeply and truly appalled by Bush and long for a change -- the bigger the change the better. Our Prime Minister is a very conservative Conservative (elected with 35% of the votes in a five way race), but even he knows better than to get caught in a photo op with George Bush.

  The rise of Obama has gotten huge and sympathetic media coverage.

  by global citizen on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 07:54:15 AM PDT

  •  Agreed...

    Obama is heavily liked in Canada across the political spectrum - NDP, Liberals, mainstream Conservatives (not the fringe social/uber-fiscal types)

    by dmsdbo on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 09:00:12 AM PDT

•  That's easy - the war and international treaties

  Easy. Here in Spain, 90% of the population was AGAINST invading Iraq from the start, and MILLIONS of Spaniards took to the streets to protest the war in 2003 (Bush had the support of José María Aznar, the President of Spain at the time). The war in Iraq, and American unilateralism are big issues. Secondly, world treaties are a world issue, and Hillary has not exactly been on the front lines in the defense of the Geneva Convention. Thirdly, most people in other countries value a candidate that has lived abroad and has family abroad, since they feel that this candidate will understand the problems and positions of other nations better. Americans living overseas are not immune to these points, and know which candidate will project a better image of the States abroad. In Dems Abroad live voting on Feb 5th, Obama won more than 60 some % of votes in Madrid, and more than 80% in Barcelona.

  by Virginian in Spain on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 08:21:28 AM PDT

•  What does international support for

  Obama really mean?

  In my conversations with friends abroad, it is that American will get something right again in a long time.

  As much as the US is often vilified internationally, especially now after Bushco's fiascos, deep down in a lot of people's hearts is the desire to like the US government as much as Americans are generally liked.

  by pvlb on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 08:24:01 AM PDT

•  I wonder what Kosovo thinks?

  http://www.cnn.com/...

  by taters on Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 09:45:35 AM PDT