If the international community was allowed to vote, presumptive Democratic candidate Barack Obama would more likely to be the next US president, according to a latest Pew Global Attitudes survey.
The survey of more than 24,000 people in 24 countries, including India, conducted between March 17 and April 21, found there is considerable interest in the US presidential campaign in the surveyed nations.
A large majority of Japanese say they are following the election very closely (24 per cent) or somewhat closely (59 per cent). As a point of comparison, a third of Americans are following the election very closely, with another 47 per cent saying they are tracking the campaign somewhat closely.
At least half or more of respondents in such countries as Germany, Australia, Great Britain and Jordan are closely following the election. In India, 46 per cent are focusing in the campaign.
The survey found that people around the world, who have been paying attention to the American election, express more confidence in Obama than in presumptive Republican candidate Senator John McCain to do the right thing regarding world affairs.
McCain is rated lower than Obama in every country surveyed, except for the US where his rating matches Obama's, as well as in Jordan and Pakistan where very few people have confidence in either of the two candidates.
In India, 52 per cent expressed confidence in Obama, compared with 17 per cent in McCain.
Obama's advantage over McCain is overwhelming in the Western European countries, with 84 per cent of the French, who have been following the election saying they have confidence in Obama to do the right thing regarding world affairs, compared with 33 per cent who say that about McCain.
The survey also measured international perceptions of Democrat Hillary Clinton. Her ratings generally tend to be higher than those for McCain, but lower than those for Obama, although there are some notable exceptions.
Clinton is rated higher than Obama in India (58 per cent to 33 per cent), South Africa (57 per cent to 36 per cent), and Mexico (36 per cent to 30 per cent).
The US President George W Bush continues to receive mostly negative ratings. Majorities in only three countries -- Tanzania, Nigeria, and India -- say they have a lot or some confidence in Bush to do the right thing in world affairs.
Not surprisingly, the survey also finds a widespread belief that US foreign policy 'will change for the better' after the inauguration of a new American President next year.
