PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081006/NY37081 )
"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, ( http://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.
SOURCE Reader's Digest
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.rd.com
http://www.readersdigest.com /worldpoll
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081006/NY37081
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org AP PhotoExpress
Network: PRN11 PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Ellen Morgenstern of Reader's Digest
Association, +1-914-244-7582, or ellen.morgenstern@rd.com; Cassin
Donn of DKC, +1-212-981-5144, or cassin_donn@dkcnews.com
|
