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International opinion polling for the 2008 United States presidential election

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Barack Obama speaking in July 2008 in Berlin. Some polls showed that more than 70% of Germans supported his candidacy.[1][2]

This article lists international opinion polls taken in various countries around the world during 2008 relating to the 2008 United States presidential election. Most polls measured foreign preference for Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain. For international reaction to the election, see International reaction to the United States presidential election, 2008.

Summary

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Most polls during the 2008 election year showed greater global support for Senator Barack Obama over Senator John McCain. A poll for the BBC World Service conducted in 22 countries found Obama favored in each one by varying margins, with an overall average of 49% preference for Obama, 12% for McCain, and 40% with no preference.[3] Similarly, a 73 country Gallup poll found that 24% of those polled favored Obama compared with 7% who favored McCain; 69% of those surveyed had no opinion.[4] An international Reader's Digest survey also reported more support for Obama than McCain in all 16 foreign countries polled, though not in the U.S. itself.[5] However, certain countries did prefer McCain to Obama in some polls, including Israel, Georgia, Laos by a small margin, and the Philippines (which is in contrast to the capital Manila).[6]

A poll done by the Pew Global Attitudes Project investigated whether other countries believed American foreign policy "will change for the better" with a new president. Although majorities held this belief in several major European and African countries, 67% of Japanese respondents said it would not change very much and more Jordanians and Egyptians believed American foreign policy would get worse than better. In terms of confidence in the candidates, the Pew poll found most but not all countries had more confidence in Obama to do the right thing in global affairs. In several countries a majority of those polled said they were following the campaign closely, including Australia, Germany, Jordan, and the United Kingdom.[7]

A global non-scientific Internet vote conducted by The Economist, with 52,000 respondents, indicated that Obama was favored over McCain by a vast majority of poll respondents, with over 44,000 votes for Obama, or roughly 85% (there were no third party or abstain options).[8]

Multi-country polls

[edit]
Country Candidates YouGov/
Daily Telegraph
May 27–29[9] 		Reader's Digest/
Synovate Omnibus
June 2-July 7[10] 		BBC/
GlobeScan
July 28-Aug 27[3] 		Gallup
May-Oct[11] 		Harris/
France24/IHT
Oct 1-13[1] 		Various
Oct[12]
 Argentina Obama
McCain		 - - - 31%
6%		 - -
 Armenia Obama
McCain		 - - - 43%
10%		 - -
 Australia Obama
McCain		 - 76%
10%		 67%
13%		 64%
14%		 - -
 Austria Obama
McCain		 - - - 58%
10%		 - -
 Bangladesh Obama
McCain		 - - - 19%
8%		 - -
 Belgium Obama
McCain		 - - - 64%
6%		 - 62%
8%
 Benin Obama
McCain		 - - - 20%
2%		 - -
 Bolivia Obama
McCain		 - - - 30%
8%		 - -
 Botswana Obama
McCain		 - - - 62%
6%		 - -
 Brazil Obama
McCain		 - 78%
11%		 51%
8%		 - - -
 Burkina Faso Obama
McCain		 - - - 50%
7%		 - -
 Burundi Obama
McCain		 - - - 61%
8%		 - -
 Cambodia Obama
McCain		 - - - 4%
9%		 - -
 Cameroon Obama
McCain		 - - - 44%
7%		 - -
 Canada Obama
McCain		 - 64%
14%		 66%
14%		 67%
22%		 - 70%
14%
 Chile Obama
McCain		 - - - 43%
9%		 - -
 China Obama
McCain		 - - 35%
15%		 12%
5%		 - -
 Colombia Obama
McCain		 - - - 38%
16%		 - -
 Costa Rica Obama
McCain		 - - - 44%
9%		 - -
 Denmark Obama
McCain		 - - - 69%
8%		 - -
 Egypt Obama
McCain		 - - 26%
13%		 - - -
 El Salvador Obama
McCain		 - - - 24%
14%		 - -
 Estonia Obama
McCain		 - - - 22%
17%		 - -
 Ethiopia Obama
McCain		 - - - 76%
6%		 - -
 Finland Obama
McCain		 - 71%
13%		 - 54%
14%		 - -
 France Obama
McCain		 65%
8%		 75%
10%		 69%
6%		 64%
4%		 78%
1%		 68%
5%
 Georgia Obama
McCain		 - - - 15%
23%		 - -
 Germany Obama
McCain		 67%
6%		 61%
26%		 65%
7%		 62%
10%		 72%
5%		 -
 Ghana Obama
McCain		 - - - 31%
13%		 - -
 Guatemala Obama
McCain		 - - - 27%
11%		 - -
 Honduras Obama
McCain		 - - - 27%
9%		 - -
 India Obama
McCain		 - 85%
7%		 24%
15%		 7%
2%		 - -
 Indonesia Obama
McCain		 - 67%
17%		 46%
11%		 - - -
 Ireland Obama
McCain		 - - - 67%
19%		 - -
 Italy Obama
McCain		 70%
15%		 - 76%
12%		 56%
6%		 66%
12%		 -
 Japan Obama
McCain		 - - - 66%
15%		 - 61%
13%
 Kenya Obama
McCain		 - - 87%
5%		 89%
3%		 - -
 Kuwait (nationals for Gallup) Obama
McCain		 - - - 32%
12%		 - -
 Laos Obama
McCain		 - - - 24%
25%		 - -
 Latvia Obama
McCain		 - - - 23%
15%		 - -
 Lebanon Obama
McCain		 - - 39%
27%		 45%
18%		 - -
 Liberia Obama
McCain		 - - - 45%
27%		 - -
 Lithuania Obama
McCain		 - - - 13%
13%		 - -
 Madagascar Obama
McCain		 - - - 47%
28%		 - -
 Mali Obama
McCain		 - - - 70%
16%		 - -
 Mauritania Obama
McCain		 - - - 68%
3%		 - -
 Mexico Obama
McCain		 - 70%
25%		 54%
16%		 27%
9%		 - 46%
13%
 Netherlands Obama
McCain		 - 92%
8%		 - 74%
10%		 - -
 Nicaragua Obama
McCain		 - - - 23%
7%		 - -
 Nigeria Obama
McCain		 - - 66%
11%		 23%
11%		 - -
 Norway Obama
McCain		 - - - 71%
13%		 - -
 Pakistan Obama
McCain		 - - - 5%
5%		 - -
 Palestine Obama
McCain		 - - - 33%
11%		 - -
 Panama Obama
McCain		 - - 43%
15%		 35%
10%		 - -
 Paraguay Obama
McCain		 - - - 26%
11%		 - -
 Peru Obama
McCain		 - - - 31%
11%		 - -
 Philippines Obama
McCain		 - - 46%
22%		 20%
28%		 - -
 Poland Obama
McCain		 - 65%
19%		 38%
13%		 43%
24%		 - 43%
26%
 Russia Obama
McCain		 31%
24%		 52%
17%		 18%
7%		 - - -
 Rwanda Obama
McCain		 - - - 57%
12%		 - -
 Saudi Arabia Obama
McCain		 - - - 50%
19%		 - -
 Senegal Obama
McCain		 - - - 54%
15%		 - -
 Sierra Leone Obama
McCain		 - - - 68%
18%		 - -
 Singapore Obama
McCain		 - - 29%
7%		 21%
11%		 - -
 South Africa Obama
McCain		 - 70%
26%		 - - - -
 South Korea Obama
McCain		 - - - 50%
24%		 - -
 Spain Obama
McCain		 - 76%
13%		 - 49%
6%		 68%
8%		 -
 Sweden Obama
McCain		 - - - 64%
6%		 - -
  Switzerland Obama
McCain		 - - - - - 83%
7%
 Taiwan Obama
McCain		 - 81%
6%		 - - - -
 Tanzania Obama
McCain		 - - - 76%
9%		 - -
 Togo Obama
McCain		 - - - 38%
6%		 - -
 Turkey Obama
McCain		 - - 26%
11%		 22%
8%		 - -
 UAE Obama
McCain		 - - 46%
13%		 - - -
 Uganda Obama
McCain		 - - - 85%
8%		 - -
 United Kingdom Obama
McCain		 49%
14%		 70%
14%		 59%
9%		 60%
15%		 48%
11%		 64%
15%
 Uruguay Obama
McCain		 - - - 39%
7%		 - -
 Zambia Obama
McCain		 - - - 47%
12%		 - -
 Zimbabwe Obama
McCain		 - - - 41%
15%		 - -

Individual country polls

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Argentina

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A poll taken on August 26 by Ibarómetro reported that 53.2% of those polled preferred Obama against 8.8% for McCain; 38% were unsure.[13]

Canada

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Polls taken in Canada showed widespread and overwhelming support for Obama, even in traditionally conservative parts of the country.

France

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A poll conducted on September 2–3 by TNS Sofres/Logica for the French-American Foundation and Fondation Robert Schuman found that 80% of the French polled hoped for an Obama victory, 8% for a McCain victory, 7% for neither, and 5% without an opinion.[14] A later poll done on October 10–11 by BVA for La Tribune found an even higher 86% who preferred to see Obama elected, with 6% hoping the same for McCain and 8% not expressing an opinion.[15]

The day after the election, a poll conducted by CSA for Le Parisien found that 84% of those polled were satisfied with the election of Obama, while 6% were dissatisfied and 10% expressed no opinion.[16]

Germany

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During the Democratic primary campaign, 43% of Germans supported Obama and 39% supported challenger Senator Hillary Clinton according to a poll by Forsa for Stern.[17] In terms of the general election, a Forsa poll carried out on August 20–21 found 74% of respondents would vote for Obama, 11% for McCain, and 15% other or not sure.[2]

Israel

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The Rabin Center for Israel Studies commissioned a poll by TNS Teleseker in the months before the election, which found that 46.4% of those polled supported McCain, 34% supported Obama, and 18.6% were undecided.[6]

Palestinian territories

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A poll by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion taken September 1–10 reported 33.5% of respondents favoring McCain, 27.7% Obama, 30.4% neither, and 8.3% unsure.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Harris Interactive/France 24/International Herald Tribune opinion poll" (PDF). France 24. Retrieved 2008-06-11. See also article "France 24 | Obama landslide in Europe | France 24". Archived from the original on 2008-11-01. Retrieved 2008-11-06..
  2. ^ a b "Germans Clearly Support Obama in U.S. Race". Angus Reid Global Monitor. 2008-09-03. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2008-11-08.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ a b "All Countries in BBC Poll Prefer Obama to McCain" (PDF). BBC World Service. 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
  4. ^ "World Citizens Prefer Obama to McCain by More Than 3-to-1". Gallup. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  5. ^ Cannon, Carl M. "Global Poll: How the World Sees the 2008 Election". Reader's Digest. Archived from the original on 2008-11-03. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  6. ^ a b "Poll: Israel votes McCain in US elections". Ynet. 2008-10-27. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  7. ^ "24-Nation Pew Global Attitudes Survey" (PDF). The Pew Global Attitudes Project. 2008-06-12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2008-11-10. See also an article on the poll [1] Archived 2023-02-28 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ^ "Obama sweeps the board: Global Electoral College". The Economist. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
  9. ^ Blair, David (2008-06-03). "Barack Obama beats John McCain in European vote: US election 20". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2008-07-30. Retrieved 2008-11-06. See also spreadsheet of results [2] (xls).
  10. ^ "The Global Presidential Poll". Reader's Digest. Archived from the original on 2008-10-22. Retrieved 2008-11-06. See also methodology [3] Archived 2008-11-10 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ "World Citizens Prefer Obama to McCain by More Than 3-to-1". Gallup. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2008-11-06. See also methodology "Methodology". Archived from the original on 2008-11-03. Retrieved 2008-11-06..
  12. ^ Glover, Julian (2008-10-17). "Foreign poll favours Democrat but shows hostility to US". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
  13. ^ "Argentinean Majority Picks Obama for U.S." Angus Reid Global Monitor. 2008-09-08. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2008-11-08.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ "L'Élection Présidentielle Américaine De 2008 Vue Par Les Français" (PDF) (in French). Le Figaro. 2008-09-03. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  15. ^ "Les Français préfèrent Barack Obama à 86%" (in French). Le Nouvel Observateur. 2008-11-03. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  16. ^ "84 % des Français satisfaits de la victoire d'Obama" (in French). Le Parisien. 2008-11-05. Archived from the original on 2008-11-10. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  17. ^ "'Next President Will Demand More From Europe'". Der Spiegel. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  18. ^ "McCain Leads Obama in Palestinian Territories". Angus Reid Global Monitor. 2008-09-29. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved 2008-11-08.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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