Barack Obama beats John McCain in European vote: US election 2008

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Barack Obama beats John McCain in European vote: US election 2008 - Telegraph

This doesn't surprise me in the least.

Barack Obama is the only consistent opponent of the Iraq war in the race for the presidency Photo: REUTERS


John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, received only 15 per cent of the vote in unprecedented survey covering Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia.

• Barack Obama wins over anti-Bush Britain
• Poll analysis: France | Germany | Russia | Italy
• Country-by-country poll results (Excel file)

The poll also found a striking level of anti-American feeling in every country. A clear majority of Russians - 56 per cent - believe the US is a "force for evil" in the world. In Britain, only 33 per cent see America as a "force for good".



Opinion towards America has become steadily more hostile throughout the presidency of George W Bush, with the Iraq war probably being the single most important factor.



Mr Bush's unpopularity appears to have rubbed off on Republican presidential candidates in general. This might explain why Mr McCain, a strong supporter of the Iraq war, is the least popular potential president in all the countries surveyed.



Meanwhile, Mr Obama, the only consistent opponent of the Iraq war in the race for the presidency, commands a clear lead. He is especially popular in Italy, where a remarkable 70 per cent would vote for him if they could.
In France, historically the European country with the strongest anti-American sentiment, 65 per cent would back Mr Obama. In Germany, the Democratic Senator would get 67 per cent of the vote - while Mr McCain would receive a derisory six per cent.



Mr Obama appears to have made less of an impact in Britain than elsewhere in Europe. A relatively modest 49 per cent of Britons would vote for him, while 14 per cent would back Mr McCain - twice the totals favouring the Republican candidate in Germany or France.



Another 13 per cent of Britons would not vote for either man and 24 per cent "don't know".



The only country where Mr McCain can rival his opponent's popularity is in Russia, where anti-American feeling is strongest. The Republican appears to have made a striking impression on Russians, with 24 per cent saying they would vote for him if they could - a mere seven points behind Mr Obama.
Meanwhile, more Russians trust Mr McCain to "lead the global economy out of its current difficulties". His economic policy skills have the support of 36 per cent, compared with 28 per cent who back Mr Obama.



Historically, Russians have tended to favour Republican presidents and conservative leaders in the West in the general. Both Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher enjoyed considerable popularity in the former Soviet Union in the 1980s.



While Vladimir Putin, the former president who now serves as prime minister, confronted the West on a series of issues, he frequently spoke of his personal regard for Mr Bush, calling the American leader a "decent and honest man".



But the Telegraph.co.uk poll found that only 16 per cent of Russians see America as a "force for good" in the world. In Britain, the total was 33 per cent and in France, only 28 per cent. As recently as 2000, a global attitudes survey found that 83 per cent of Britons and 62 per cent of the French had a "favourable" view of America.



The Telegraph poll found that Italy has overtaken Britain to become the most pro-American country out of Europe's four largest nations. Almost half - 49 per cent - of Italians see America as a "force for good" with only 27 per cent believing Washington is a "force for evil".



- This research, commissioned by Telegraph.co.uk, was carried out online between May 23 and 29 by YouGov plc. The total sample was 6,256 (broken down into Britain 2,241; France 1,005; Russia 1,001; Italy 1,004; Germany 1,005).

Country-by-country poll results (Excel file)