Barack Obama would easily win the presidency if the citizens of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom were doing the voting rather than Americans, Gallup reports.
Unless I’ve missed something, Europeans aren’t eligible to vote in our elections. These surveys nonetheless provide interesting insights into how different cultures view things. Gallup’s Zsolt Nyiri, Frank Newport, and Jeffrey Jones provide this analysis:
In each of these countries, Gallup recorded in 2007 abysmally low approval of U.S. leadership — just 8% approval in Germany, 9% in France, and 20% in the United Kingdom. Much of this likely stems from opposition to the U.S.-led Iraq war, but it could also result from U.S. policy on global warming or reported human rights abuses in Guantanamo Bay.
Obama’s current strength in these countries may be an outcome of the early publicity surrounding his nomination, particularly the fascinating and dramatic primary contest between Obama and the well-known Sen. Hillary Clinton. As a result, during much of the spring McCain was not the subject of nearly the international media attention that Obama was. It is possible, therefore, that McCain could gain some as the visibility of the two U.S. presidential candidates in the worldwide media becomes more equal throughout the next three months. Still, there is no question that Obama has become a “rock star” of sorts in these countries, and whether it is simple name recognition or an awareness of and agreement with his policy positions, he is clearly the favorite at this point.
Of course, Europeans almost always prefer Democrats to Republicans. Bill Clinton was beloved in Europe even during his lowest points in American public esteem and Ronald Reagan was thought a buffoon across the pond despite his tremendous popularity at home.
