By IANS,
London : US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama enjoys more international support than his Republican rival John McCain, as most people outside the US prefer the Democrat leader to become next US president, according to a BBC poll released Wednesday.
Most of the people questioned in the global poll conducted by international polling institute GlobeScan believe that US relations with the rest of the world would improve under the presidentship of Obama.
If McCain were elected, the relations would remain the same as now under President George W. Bush, the respondents said during the poll, which was conducted before the Republic convention and headline-grabbing Shara Palin being chosen as McCain’s running mate.
About 22,000 people in 22 countries around the world were questioned during the poll. They were asked how an Obama presidency would change the US’s relations with other countries.
On average, 49 percent of those surveyed preferred Obama, compared with 12 percent for McCain, to win the race for the White House.
Backing for Obama is, not surprisingly, strongest in European countries, but otherwise ranges from just 9 per cent in India to 82 percent in Kenya, where the 47-year-old Illinois senator was born.
The BBC survey, conducted by international polling institute GlobeScan, questioned 22,000 people in 22 countries around the world, and asked how an Obama presidency would change the US’s relations with other countries.
On average, 49 percent of those surveyed preferred Obama, compared with 12 percent for McCain, to win the race for the White House.
When asked whether Obama becoming the president would “fundamentally change” their perception of the US, 46 percent of respondents said it would while 27 percent said it would not.
Support for Obama was highest (82 percent) in Kenya, which is the birthplace of the Illinois senator’s father.
In Canada, about 69 percent expressed thier wish to see the African-American as next US president, while support for him was 64 percent in Italy, 62 percent in France, 61 percent in Germany and 54 percent in Britian.
Surprisingly, only 9 percent Indians supported the Democrat to succeed George Bush in the White House.
In Egypt, Lebanon, Russia and Singapore, the predominant expectation was that relations would remain the same if Obama won the election.
In a similar poll conducted by the BBC before the 2004 US presidential election had found most people in countries outside the US preferred to see Democratic candidate John Kerry beat the incumbent George W. Bush.