Some say it was a close fight...
So they say McCain only lost to Obama in the overall popularity rankings by a tad - what, 5 percentage points?
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BARACK OBAMA relishes two electoral triumphs this week. His historic win in the presidential election is mirrored in a thumping victory for the Democrat in the Global Electoral College, The Economist's (not particularly scientific) attempt to gauge global opinion about the American race. Some 53,000 readers around the world cast a vote online, with over 44,000 of them plumping for Mr. Obama, a margin of more than five to one. His victory looks all the more lopsided as candidates scooped electoral-college votes according to the countries they won (just as America's electoral-college system allocates votes by state). Thus Mr Obama collected a final tally of 9,115, compared with a paltry 203 for John McCain, the Republican.
International enthusiasm for Mr Obama is hardly surprising, given the rapturous welcome he enjoyed when touring Europe in the summer and the widespread dislike of the Republican incumbent, George Bush. But the depth of his support is striking: in 56 countries, including Canada, Britain, Germany, France, South Korea and Indonesia, at least 90% backed the Democrat. From the start Mr Obama had raced ahead, picking up support from Europe and from heavily populated (and thus vote-rich) places such as China and India.
In contrast McCain struggled to turn much of the map Republican red. He ended up with just four countries: Cuba, Congo, Algeria and Iraq (the last perhaps bolstered by Americans on duty). And even in these places he scored only narrow victories. Various other countries, including Georgia and Slovakia, dallied with him, but then switched away.
[insert picture tomorrow]
...
Yet the results are telling. Outsiders were fascinated by America's contest: readers in at least 136 countries voted for one or other candidate (a tie was recorded in two more, Macedonia and Myanmar). The results also suggest that Mr Obama and America will enjoy more international goodwill than has been the case in recent years. That fact alone is something for supporters of both parties to cheer.
Taken from: The Economist Issue November 8th-14th 2008.
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Hmmm.
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BARACK OBAMA relishes two electoral triumphs this week. His historic win in the presidential election is mirrored in a thumping victory for the Democrat in the Global Electoral College, The Economist's (not particularly scientific) attempt to gauge global opinion about the American race. Some 53,000 readers around the world cast a vote online, with over 44,000 of them plumping for Mr. Obama, a margin of more than five to one. His victory looks all the more lopsided as candidates scooped electoral-college votes according to the countries they won (just as America's electoral-college system allocates votes by state). Thus Mr Obama collected a final tally of 9,115, compared with a paltry 203 for John McCain, the Republican.
International enthusiasm for Mr Obama is hardly surprising, given the rapturous welcome he enjoyed when touring Europe in the summer and the widespread dislike of the Republican incumbent, George Bush. But the depth of his support is striking: in 56 countries, including Canada, Britain, Germany, France, South Korea and Indonesia, at least 90% backed the Democrat. From the start Mr Obama had raced ahead, picking up support from Europe and from heavily populated (and thus vote-rich) places such as China and India.
In contrast McCain struggled to turn much of the map Republican red. He ended up with just four countries: Cuba, Congo, Algeria and Iraq (the last perhaps bolstered by Americans on duty). And even in these places he scored only narrow victories. Various other countries, including Georgia and Slovakia, dallied with him, but then switched away.
[insert picture tomorrow]
...
Yet the results are telling. Outsiders were fascinated by America's contest: readers in at least 136 countries voted for one or other candidate (a tie was recorded in two more, Macedonia and Myanmar). The results also suggest that Mr Obama and America will enjoy more international goodwill than has been the case in recent years. That fact alone is something for supporters of both parties to cheer.
Taken from: The Economist Issue November 8th-14th 2008.
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Hmmm.