http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/09/2360240.htm?section=world Didn't see this linked. Also someone can link Gordon Brown's basic endorsement of the Democrats if they like.
Osama's endorsement of Bush last time might have sealed it for him, though. It depends on WHICH foreign leader does the endorsing.
Not to mention that Americans fundamentally don't like being told what to do by other countries. If I'm the McCain camp I'm sending this poll out to anyone who'll listen. I personally don't think it's a coincidence that Obama's slide in the polls began at the time of his Euro Coronation Tour.
It's hard to lead when nobody respects you. Clearly, they want and/or expect us to be a leader. True. Their opinion serves as little other than a potential indicator to the electorate about the perceived character and capability of the candidates when it comes to foreign affairs. Ah yes, the conservative "******** you guys" attitude. It's not about policy, it's just about pissing off people who don't identify with your tribe. BTW - nobody is telling American's what to do. They are just expressing their opinion about who they would prefer to win. Note that our NATO allies express the strongest preference for Obama. That doesn't mesh real well with McCain's "strong on defense" message.
I can't possibly imagine why the rest of the world wouldn't want another four years of this bullshit. What a bunch of ingrates!!
Why should America care about what the world thinks when Pee Wee Herman, Jesus Christ, Adolph Rupp and John Wayne are all on their side?
This cannot be emphasized enough--the world still wants, expects, and needs American leadership. Foreign interest in our elections isn't meddling, it's an acknowledgement of our status and influence.
I couldn't agree more. I think the lingering annimosity that you see from Alex and others comes from the dismissive attitude of the bush administration towards the countries that didn't unquestioningly fall in line with bush after 9/11 and particularly with respect to Iraq. Despite the jokes, the French and Germans have been very good allies for years and suddenly turd blossom and crew were purposefully turning them into punchlines. The whole "old Europe" thing served to further encourage the bush supporters to discount the relationship. Is it wrong for us to follow an election in England with interest?
Americans aren't exactly unique like that. Ask the Viet Cong or Sunni Iraqis or Georgians...damn near anyone. The fact that you felt you had to specify "Americans" shows precisely what is wrong with conservative foreign policy. They don't know anything and don't care that they don't know anything. In fact, they resent and instinctively argue with people who DO know something.
20% of our citizenry owns passports and a large portion of them have never left the CONCACAF region. That's all you need to know.
In my travels abroad since February of last year, as soon as someone found out I was American I was almost always immediately asked about the upcoming election and who I supported. The people of the world care a great deal and are interested in this election, but they know they carry no weight in the process. More than anything they want someone that respects them and although I support Obama I feel like McCain would still be an improvement over the Cowboy diplomacy of the last 8 years...
Actually, to a large extent, the world has a clearer view of the issues when they are able to distance themselves from the firehose cacophony of the 24 hours news media in this country. There's a reason that the electorate in this country is uninformed enough to ponder returning the Republicans to power after 8 miserable years, and it rhymes with vaindream seedia. I found living overseas that being divorced from that cacophony actually clarifies the mind and cuts through the bullshit pretty easily. Remember the Y2k meltdown? I had people calling me and freaking out to be sure that I was ok living overseas. It was barely mentioned in the Spanish media until maybe a month or two before the end of the year. The American media thrives (makes money) in an environment of sensationalism, controversy and fear-mongering. Without that, nobody watches. Also, ask yourself this question: Who looks more like the rest of the world, the mixed race son of a Kenyan and an American or a white guy from the Naval Academy?
Jack Warner wouldn't let me. ===== What is the 9% approval rate in India all about? I couldn't find more info about that on the fly. Is it because of our connections with Pakistan?
That I already knew for a few years... but am still staggered by to this very day. Which reminds me, I heard that Palin apparently tried to talk up her foreign policy end of things by having visited Europe, when she in fact only got a passport for the first time a year or two back, and her only time in Europe was a one-hour layover in Shannon Airport (Ireland) en route to Iraq. Can anybody verify this? Things that funny can't be true... can they!?
It isn't staggering. The US is dozens of times bigger than any European country (unless you count Russia). The equivalent would be asking how many Europeans have traveled to another continent....my bet is it'd be about the same proportion.
And you would probably be wrong. Just think, euro/dollar exchange rate--although the dollar seems to be making a slight comeback.
My bet is that it is - considerably - higher. Even just from college kids/early-20s going on summer work visa's to the USA or Canada, Thailand for 2-3 month holidays, or backpacking for 6-12 months through Australia alone, I would reckon that close to (probably not over) 20% of the total population of Ireland having been in a different continent in their lives. It's not just about the size of the country or different climates - travelling is about taking in different cultures and seeing ways of life from different perspectives all over the world. It is considered a shame over here to live in a bubble (however big it may be) and never go and explore whatever you possibly can, within your lifetime. I would have figured this especially true of Americans, given the pride many people tend to have in their ethnicity over there. So yeah, I would call it staggering.