Obama is Heavy Favorite in First Reader's Digest Global Presidential Poll
Magazine Offers World View on American Presidential Election
Published on Oct 6, 2008 - 8:23:17 AM

By: Reader's Digest

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 6 2008 - Barack Obama is the world's preferred choice for president of the United States by far, according to the results of a first-ever global presidential poll conducted by Reader's Digest magazine and published in the November issue, on newsstands October 21. The poll, part of the cover story "How the World Sees Us" by Reader's Digest Washington Bureau Chief Carl Cannon, asked 17,000 people in 17 countries, including the United States, whom they would like to see in the White House, and to weigh in on the global issues they most care about. They were also asked to characterize how America is perceived abroad, revealing surprising findings, especially among our closest neighbors. Video interviews with respondents and a map illustrating the findings can be found on http://www.readersdigest.com/ /worldpoll.

"For the first time, Reader's Digest used its unique international footprint to provide a tapestry of global perspectives on several of the most important issues of our time, leading with the election of the next American president," said Peggy Northrop, U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Reader's Digest.

The story and accompanying poll results will appear in the November issue of all 50 editions of Reader's Digest around the world -- the first time the magazine has synchronized publication on a global scale around a single story. The poll coincides with the election as well as the completion of a worldwide redesign that includes updated cover looks on all editions and a uniform, global logo.

The Poll Results

Regarding the question of which candidate they would vote for if they could, respondents voted overwhelmingly for Obama in every country polled, with the exception of the United States, where Republican John McCain was preferred over Democrat Obama by a narrow margin.

"It's Obama by a landslide -- except in the country in which he's actually running for president," said John Fredricks, Director of Polling for Reader's Digest. "What is most striking is the margin of his support."

In the Netherlands, Obama-mania surpassed 90 percent. In Germany, it was at 85 percent--numbers not usually seen in political polling. Similar results held true on all six continents that the magazine polled.

"Reader's Digest is a global magazine uniquely positioned to take the pulse of the people all over the world, and our poll reveals sharp contrasts between those in the United States and the rest of the world," said Frank Lalli, Editor-in-Chief, International Editions and Magazine Development. The poll also asked respondents to rank eight issues in importance: terrorism, the war in Iraq, the global economy, global poverty, human rights, the environment, international trade, and nuclear proliferation.

Results include:

-- Americans ranked the global economy as most important; terrorism, second; and the war in Iraq, third. Only the Russians were more concerned with terrorism than Americans.

-- In seven nations (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Great Britain and Taiwan), the environment came out on top as a major concern.

-- Global poverty, which tallied only 4 percent among Americans, was the No. 1 concern of respondents in six nations (France, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, South Africa and Spain) -- and second in five others.

On the question "When you think of the U.S. government, do you consider yourself pro-American, neutral or anti-American?" respondents in other countries were split:

-- Seven of the 16 other countries were more "pro-American" than "anti-American," despite the war in Iraq. India and Poland were most enthusiastic about the U.S. government.

-- Anti-American sentiment was highest among Indonesia, Netherlands and Spain, although U.S. neighbors Mexico and Canada expressed it as well.

In response to a question about whether respondents would like to move to the United States, the French expressed strong interest, as did 73% of respondents in India. In Canada, only about 25% expressed an interest in relocating, while in Mexico, the nation that sends the most immigrants to the United States, one-third said they'd want to move there. French novelist Philippe Laibro hypothesized in the article that "the legend remains. America is still that land of the second chance, of multiple opportunities, where anyone can succeed."

About the Global Presidential Poll:

Survey data were collected in 17 nations, 15 by the international polling firm Synovate. In the Netherlands and Finland, local polling organizations were used. Three scientific methodologies were employed: online surveys in the United States and Canada; telephone interviews in Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Poland, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan, and Australia; and face-to-face interviews in South Africa, India and Indonesia. In 15 of the nations, approximately 1,000 individuals were questioned, with a margin of error of about 3 percent. In South Africa, 500 people were queried, with a margin of error of 4.4 percent. In Brazil, 1,500 people were surveyed, with a margin of error of 2.5 percent. Questioners were in the field from June 2 to July 7, 2008.

Reader's Digest magazine, ( www.readersdigest.com ), the world's most widely read magazine, is published in 21 languages and reaches 70 million readers worldwide. Each edition is produced and published locally for its own audience. The magazine celebrates the best of humanity and delivers a compelling mix of special reporting, humor and human interest. It is part of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., a global multi-brand media and marketing company that educates, entertains and connects audiences around the world. RDA headquarters are in Pleasantville, New York, USA.

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