World has 'high hopes' for Obama

[struggle4progress]

Source: BBC

In a poll of more than 17,000 people in 17 countries, about 67% said Mr Obama would strengthen US relations abroad ...

On average, across all 17 countries, 72% of respondents said dealing with the global financial crisis should be the top priority. That was followed by a 50% score for withdrawing US forces from Iraq.

Addressing climate change was third, on 46%, brokering Middle East peace at 43% and supporting the Afghan government against the Taleban at 29% ...

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/obama_inauguration/7838475.stm

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Not Just the US Optimistic about Obama
By JIM LOBE / IPS WRITER
Tuesday, January 20, 2009

... The only two countries where pluralities—rather than majorities—expressed optimism about Obama's presidency were Japan (48 percent) and Russia (at 47 percent, a major rise from 11 percent in August where US-Russian tensions reached their zenith during the Georgia crisis).

In terms of Obama's priorities, Western Europeans (about two-thirds), with the exception of Germany (49 percent), rated climate change a top priority. Chileans (68 percent), Chinese (65 percent), and Japanese (57 percent) agreed. By contrast, only 41 percent of U.S. respondents and a mere 18 percent of Russians were of the same mind.

On brokering peace between Israel and the Palestinians, 75 percent of Egyptians called it a top priority, followed by 58 percent of Chinese, an average of about 55 percent among Western European respondents. The exception again was Germans, of whom only 20 percent rated the conflict a top priority, although 57 percent characterized it "important but not top." Small majorities of Mexicans and Chileans put it in the "top" category, but only 37 percent of U.S. respondents did so. Most polling was done before the Gaza crisis broke out.

At 82 percent, Egyptians also topped the list of those publics that see U.S. withdrawal from Iraq as a "top" priority. An average of about two-thirds of Mexicans, Chileans, and Chinese agreed with that assessment, as did a majority of Spaniards, British, and Italians. Forty-one percent of U.S. respondents call it a "top" priority ...

http://www.irrawaddy.org/highlight.php?art_id=14954&page=2

[Art_from_Ark]

1. I'm not surprised the Russians don't rate climate change a top priority

Especially the fine folks in Verkhoyansk, the Icebox of the Northern Hemisphere

[and-justice-for-all]

2. If Obama does not put those hack repukes in check..

he will not get much done at all.

[bdamomma]

3. the Congress needs to be watched too.

[and-justice-for-all]

4. McConnell is a bastard....

and yes, some Dems need their spine adjusted.