What does the rest of the world think about the US candidates?

[Bob]

I'm wondering about the opinions of non-US peoples.

My impression of their impression about Bush is "Bush is bad.  Bush is bad."

What do you think about the two candidates now?  One of them will be president.  What's the rest of the world's opinion on them?

[rc]

Just about every bit of news that reaches me has favored Obama.  Other than that I'm not paying enough attention to know anything.

Bush is pretty much univerally bashed among people I talk to.

[thalbergmad]

Obama did get most of the press in the UK when he was battling against Clinton, but it is pretty even now between him and  McCain.

From what i see, i would probably favour Obama.

Do you Americans really want a war vet. Would he be more likely to pull the trigger or push the button??

There is something clean and refreshing about Obama. People say he does not have experience, but is that really required. A love of your Country and its people should be sufficient.

Some in the UK compared him to Tony Blair. The only connection i can see is that both have a permagrin. With Obama though, it don't look so false.

OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT.

Thal

[pianogeek_cz]

People over here are rather oblivious, really... Whatever you may think of Bush, at least he does have a semblance of integrity. That cannot be said about the local political echelons, so most of the public completely ceased to care. (Parliamentary election turnout? 20%, tops.)
The people I know who do care are roughly a 50/50 split, I think. I used to be a strong McCain supporter, but his campaign during the last two months has turned me off a bit...
He seems to be getting quite a lot of local media coverage lately, especially because of his VP pick. (There's also always a small column of "what Obama had to say about this". I find that quite a nice feature.)

By the way, Bush-bashing seems to be obligatory in any European political discourse among the vast majority of people. It's become a part of the collective political subconscious. That makes it pretty hard to actually think about Bush without prejudice.

And on yet another side note, have you seen this election's JibJab? :-)

[indutrial]

By the way, Bush-bashing seems to be obligatory in any European political discourse among the vast majority of people. It's become a part of the collective political subconscious. That makes it pretty hard to actually think about Bush without prejudice.

Bush only has a 25-30% approval-rating here in the U.S., I'd say that the Europeans are right on the money with their bashing. We're the idiots who took 6 years to realize that we s**t the bed.

I don't know how anyone could be supporting McCain (who is going to die soon) and his shrieking life-size Barbie Doll (who could potentially kill us all). I don't really like Obama all that much either, but the GOP march towards armageddon needs to be stalled at least this once.

[shortyshort]

Other than that I'm not paying enough attention to know anything.

Like wise. I don't even take an interest in UK politics.

[term]

https://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00006424n

https://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638

I think the guys are untrustworthy and their tv shows & ads are entertainment. See, even the country is an entertainment show, theres nothing you can't degrade to the banality and superficiality of hollywood movies.
And of such nature are these guys' campaigns. Their allegiance is not with the american people.
Barack & biden do the nice talk and try to look like like men of integrity. Mccain & palin are like a bad disney movie with resemblance to bush's second class strongman image and they do the endless rant about terror, war and security.
But it doesn't matter, look, if you get a third war (and you will) you can either have a smiling black face on it or a Maverick and a Moosehunter as commander in chief.   Either way, it's funny: A black man bombing brown people or two goofballs pretending to rule the country.

No offense intended   Just my honest opinion.

[rc]

Like wise. I don't even take an interest in UK politics.

I like to try to have a somewhat educated vote, at the very least to know why I voted for who I did.

Tangent:  Something occurred to me the other day.  A good friend of mine has completely opposite political views from me.  When the topic comes up, it can get heated (and never gets anywhere).  We were roommates for a while, and I think we both live our lives by the same values that we vote with.

I like to cut unnecessary expenses, and live well within my means.  To me, that is a comfortable life - to stay afloat and have something stashed away for a rainy day.  So, I vote for the party that talks about cutting spending.  I think, if they can trim the fat, that means they can afford to trim taxes.

I've watched my friend go out and buy boxing gloves, a rubber mallet, wood swords, a knife set and a bunch of video games on payday.  Later that month is stressful because he has to find money for the bills.  Twice he's had his gas cut off.  But he's got a big heart and wants to save everybody, because the world is such a rotten place...  He votes for the ones that promise to save the world (my POV: spendspendspend).

I look at our families and I can see that these values come from our parents.  Not that we blindly vote according to how our parents did, but I don't think that it's a coincidence that we should wind up with similar views as the people who raised us.

When we go out for beers and I spot him because he has no money, it feels like a microcosm of society.

[filosofem]

A major newspaper here in Finland showed a poll on their website yesterday showing that 90% of those who answered said they would vote for Obama. To me it seems that Obama is much more popular here in Europe.

[lostinidlewonder]

US politics.... it just reminds me of like a game show or something.

[communist]

when McCain dies because of heart problems Sarah Palin will be president, When Obama is shot Joe Biden will be president

[wert718]

Go John McCain!!!!


Wert718

[healdie]

At my school we have an american member of staff and he is from Kansas

he is not a racist but he says the area where he is from is very racist and he does not think america is ready for a black president but he also thinks that John Mcaine will not do a good job either

but he said personally he would vote mcaine for Tax purposes

personally myself i don't like either of them i think Obama is racist and Mcaine is crazy

[indutrial]

US politics.... it just reminds me of like a game show or something.

Yeah, everyone who's sitting at home watching loses.