World wants Obama to be next US president: poll

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
WASHINGTON: Most people around the world would prefer Democrat Barack Obama to win the US presidential election over his Republican rival John McCain, a new poll spanning 22 countries showed Tuesday.

The BBC World Service survey found the most common view in all nations polled was that Obama who staged a euphoric European and Middle Eastern tour in July that included a speech to 200,000 fans in Berlin should win in November.

An average of 46 percent of those questioned thought US relations with the rest of the world would improve if Obama took office, compared to just 20 percent for McCain, the survey of 22,500 people found.

Global approval ratings for the United States are currently low a BBC World Service poll earlier this year found 49 percent of people surveyed had a negative view of US influence, compared to 32 who viewed it positively.

Those most optimistic about an Obama presidency's impact on US external relations were people in America's NATO allies Canada, France, Germany, Britain and Italy -- as well as Australia, Nigeria and Kenya.

Forty-six percent said having a black US president would "fundamentally change" their perception of the United States, and 27 percent said it would not.

However, there is nothing to suggest Obama's popularity abroad will bring success at home he is neck and neck with McCain in US opinion polls

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