Posted by
Mike Bates on Monday, September 15, 2008 1:30:55 PM
With Barack Obama losing his lead in a variety of polls, CNN anchor
John Roberts on American Morning today
decided to look elsewhere for encouragement. He and CNN London
correspondent Becky Anderson, with the bottom of the screen announcing,
"The world wants Obama," looked at a BBC poll showing that, at least
among foreigners, Obama is still a superstar:
ROBERTS: It has been said that politics is a popularity
contest. And according to a new BBC Poll, Barack Obama is more popular
among people overseas. CNN's Becky Anderson is looking at the poll
results for us this morning. She is live right there by Carnaby Street
in London.
Good morning to you, Becky.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.
You're absolutely right. An overwhelming majority of the 22,000
people who are polled across 22 countries around the world favor an
Obama presidency. Now, let's be honest. Obama did have an advantage
going into this campaign as far as the rest of the world is, was and
will be concerned, John. It's anybody but Bush. And by dent of
association, therefore, anyone but John McCain.
So, let's take a look at these numbers, shall we. And see what's
surprising about them. What isn't surprising is you get something like
an 82 percent approval rating for Obama. In Kenya, for example, is
where many of his siblings, step siblings, members of his family live.
They like, know Obama. They like him, they know him, and know a lot
about him, and they want him for presidency.
Perhaps more surprisingly, John, is when you look at the numbers
from NATO allies. For example Canada, France, Germany, good approval
rating of over 50 percent for Obama. And these are people who dealt
with the Bush administration in the past and are looking for
international affairs, foreign policy and experience in both of those.
So, that's where perhaps the numbers are a bit more surprising.
Anderson then mentioned that in 2004 Monsieur John Kerry also
enjoyed substantial foreign support, although not quite as much as The
One. The report continued:
ROBERTS: So, Becky, overseas, President Bush has got
very long coattails that John McCain seems to be attached to. But here
in the United States, John McCain is presenting himself as an agent of
change now. He's going back to that maverick attitude that he had back
in the year 2000, and it's starting to work among some independents. Is
there anything he can say to change opinion worldwide?
ANDERSON: It's interesting, isn't it? I wondered whether there
might be, a few weeks ago, until he took Sarah Palin on to the ticket.
That's been interesting to see people react to Sarah Palin and John
McCain as an item, because there's an awful lot of skepticism about
Sarah Palin.
When you hear words like creationism, when you hear words like -- or
phrases like, I don't support the arguments for global warming, for
example, it's arguments like that and it's a Sarah Palin ticket, I
think, which is, to a certain extent hurting John McCain.
There really isn't very much, it seems, that he can say or do at
this point, even on foreign policy interestingly enough -- John.
ROBERTS: We should point out, though, that only people in the United
States, people who are Americans, get the opportunity to vote. But it's
interesting to look at that worldwide opinion. Becky Anderson for us
this morning. Becky, thanks very much.
Roberts's question asking if there's anything McCain can do to
change foreign opinion is revealing. In a world that harbors
substantial anti-Americanism, why should a candidate for the United
States presidency worry about the paper tiger of overseas opinion?
According to Anderson, the deal breaker for McCain was when Sarah
Palin joined the ticket. Foreigners may not have cheered, but
Americans certainly have. Perhaps, like some in the mainstream media
here, people overseas object to her not having traveled to Europe or
not even appearing on "Meet the Press."
Concluding by pointing out that only Americans get to vote for
president suggests Roberts must not have much respect for his viewers'
intelligence. That's rather common knowledge. Or maybe it just annoys
him that foreigners can't help determine our elections.