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New Poll Shows More Than 90% of Northern Europeans Would Vote Obama, But Here’s What It Left Out

Nov. 1, 2012 7:57am Sharona Schwartz

New YouGov Poll Shows More Than 90 percent of Northern Europeans Would Vote Obama But Omits Undecideds

Question asked by new poll of northern Europeans

Asked whom they would vote for if they could vote in U.S. elections, more than 90 percent of northern Europeans surveyed said they would choose to re-elect President Barack Obama. Ninety percent. That’s a pretty high number for any public opinion poll. But how accurate is it?

British media including Reuters and ITV are reporting on the new study from British polling and research firm YouGov which released results Wednesday of its online survey of respondents in the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway.

Though Obama is clearly favored by the respondents, the results being touted are a bit misleading.

Polling data from YouGov’s European Survey

Take a look at the polling data above. In each country, far more people said they “Don’t know” whom they’d vote for than those who chose Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney. In Britain, almost one-quarter of those surveyed said they didn’t know who they’d choose.

Perhaps to make the results more exciting, the polling firm YouGov recalculated its results to exclude the clearly large numbers of respondents who said “Don’t know.” When the results were recalculated omitting that key data, Obama was handed a virtual “win” of 91 percent in the UK, 92 percent in Germany and even 95 percent in Denmark and Sweden. In Denmark and Sweden, Romney enjoyed only 4 percent.

Including those who answered “Don’t know” Obama still received between 69 and 81 percent – so yes Europeans like him – but not at a rate of 90%.

That didn’t stop Reuters from reporting the 90% figure without explanation.

Trying to explain why Obama is so much more popular in Europe, it reports:

Romney, a 65-year-old former private equity investor, is simply too much of an unknown quantity and too right wing for European tastes, said Joe Twyman, director of Political and Social Research at the pollster.

“By continental European standards, Obama is considered right-of-centre or even right-wing,” Twyman told Reuters by telephone.

“Then you have Romney who’s even more right wing. You’ve moved even further from European comfort levels,” he said.

In a Europe grappling with economic crisis and welfare systems that bond investors say are unsustainable, the rhetoric of the U.S. presidential race simply does not press the same buttons.

“Accusations of socialism (against Obama) don’t exactly resonate somewhere like Denmark,” Twyman said.

Europeans for the most part are unfazed by socialism. The pollster points out Denmark: that country’s current government is a coalition of the Social Democrats, the Socialist People’s Party and the Social Liberals.

Another problem with the poll: though 7,500 responded, left out of the survey were the southern European countries like Greece, Spain and Italy bearing the brunt of the eurozone crisis whose citizens might have different political opinions.

Pollster Twyman admits many Europeans may favor Obama simply because he’s a known figure. “People know a lot more Obama than about Romney. After all, he’s been president for a while,” he says.

Twyman himself appears to prejudge Romney’s ability to prove himself, as reflected in YouGov’s press release about the poll in which he is quoted saying [emphasis added]:

“No doubt many Americans are not overly concerned about who Europeans think they should vote for, but on the other hand history has shown that when a president is unpopular with the people of Europe it can have a far-reaching effect on how those people view the whole United States.

Obviously, both candidate’s top priority is to win over the American public, but every modern president must also show that they can be an effective operator in the international arena. That includes being seen favourably by people in other countries.

While Obama’s support at home has waned, his popularity in Europe is still such that it is effectively overshadowing Romney who, even as the campaign reaches a climax, has yet to make much of an impression on Europeans.”

European impressions of the candidates are largely guided by mainstream media coverage and analyses. On the page where YouGov posted its press release touting the poll, one commenter wrote:

Is anyone really suprised given the media’s portrayal of Romney? I am sure these figures would be different if people knew the facts about Obama’s record, especially considering his stimulus did nothing for the jobs, and helped contribute to the US’s crippling debt

Earlier this month, a BBC poll found that Obama is overwhelmingly more popular than Romney internationally, though the difference in ratings was not 9 to 1. The British broadcaster found that in every country polled besides Pakistan, Obama got huge approval ratings, including more than 60 percent in Canada, Australia and the UK, and 72 percent in France. Bucking that trend, an Israeli survey published last week found that 57 percent of Israeli Jews prefer Romney over Obama, who got only 22 percent support, a difference in popularity of almost three to one.

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Comments (83)

Master.Debater
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:23am
I was in Germany after Obama’s election in 2008 and on several occasions ignoramuses congratulated me saying, “he can’t be any worse than Bush”.

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- Rampart
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:58am
  It seems to me that we should do exactly the OPPOSITE of whatever the slow-motion trainwreck that is the EU says it would do…
  
  Report this comment
- localwildlife
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 10:02am
  Boy, were they ever wrong! Busch was no prize, but he certainly did not hate the United States.
  
  Report this comment
- G-WHIZ
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 11:10am
  Remember the ‘”Oberton Window”!!
  
  Report this comment
- Thors Hammer
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 12:01pm
  Ah, yes, but how many Kenyans would vote for BO?
  
  Report this comment
- 1947
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 12:12pm
  The COMMIE side want him…..He needs to think about going over there he’s 90% support……
  
  Report this comment
- Platonician
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 1:12pm
  Here is the reason why if you had any doubt about it:
  
  “Out of a shortlist of twenty of the best known, most respected and influential philosophical thinkers, nominated by the In Our Time audience, Karl Marx has been voted the Greatest Philosopher of all time by BBC Radio 4 listeners.”
  
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/07_july/13/radio4.shtml
  
  Report this comment
- lindathepatriot
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 2:54pm
  The Libs and the commie world would vote for the devil if he ran against freedom in the U.S. California would vote for the devil if he ran as a democrat.
  
  Report this comment
- wardance
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 3:48pm
  Let a European make a few observations. I live in the UK and there has been no coverage of the Romney campaign here. The British media are very very left wing and the BBC is the worst of all. You can forget all this ‘the BBC is unbiased and the best broadcaster in the world’ crap because we regard it as a joke. It is very anti-American and most of the coverage here is based on how Obama has been trying to clear up all of George Bush’s mistakes…nothing about his catastrophic failures and massive debt increases. I don’t know anybody who likes Obama so I dont know where this ’90%’ rubbish comes from and it seems its just more biased reporting from the left wing liars.
  
  As a Scotsman I have nothing but respect and admiration for the American people and its country and culture. Having lived in the US for just 10 months many years ago I loved the place and it broke my heart to leave. You have many friends over here who follow this website for up to date and honest news on whats actually happening and not the biased lies pumped out by the main stream jokers. God bless your people and I pray Romney can put down the foundations for a future you and your children deserve. To be honest, another 4 years of Obama could destroy everything America is. We ALL need a Romney win.
  
  Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:21am
Question –

How important is YouGov’s survey to our election next week?

Answer –

Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

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- QuincySmith
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:53am
  Careful, Woodyee, if non-Americans contribute to oblama, who is to say they can’t vote for him.
  
  Report this comment
- drattastic
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 10:41am
  What separates us from Europeans is that our ancestors were rugged individualist who wanted to make their own way in this world without the iron hand of some king or or wealthy aristocracy running their lives. ( they didn’t flock to this country for generous entitlements) . What was left behind for the most part were sheepole perfectly happy to be ruled ,who thought that those born into nobility were actually better than them.
  
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- RamonPreston
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 11:03am
  @QuincySmith Lots of non-Americans come up from Mexico and vote for Obama. It’s our American troops who can’t vote.
  
  Report this comment
hanblecheya
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:20am
Such simple people. Of course, when you don’t have to support your own defense, you can subsidize sloth for quite a while. And O is the image of sloth. Romney reminds them of a parent whereas O is like a ‘bro’. Can’t relate to an adult when your society is built on an adolescent concept of being taken care of your whole life. Europeans never moved out of the government’s basement. All the smart Euros went to America a century ago.

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- OutOfTheAether
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 11:02am
  very well said
  
  Report this comment
Master.Debater
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:19am
They can have him!

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USATrucker
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:14am
Who gives a flying you-know-what, what any piece of euro-trash thinks? They are a big government loving culture and always have been.

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Edohiguma
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:11am
Addendum: yes, the EUSSR is a redistribution union. Take from the rich, give to the poor. Countries like Germany and Austria are paying like crazy, while countries like the PIIGS and the entire eastern block don’t care and laugh at us.

The EUSSR (I will not call it EU) is also a testbed for the UN, to see how far unelected tyrants can go in the 21st century without drawing any ire from the people. They can see how long the sheeple gobble up their crap sandwiches without resistance.

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Grace1798
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:09am
Yea, smart people……….see how great their votes and reasoning has gotten them? They are in poverty way bad aren’t they? So their vote for Obama proves why. DUHHHHHH. Not too smart are they?

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Edohiguma
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:07am
You have no idea about how bad it really is in the EUSSR. The MSM are beating the drum for Obama on a scale that you’d think he’s running for something in the EUSSR. That goes hand in hand with open false information and outright lies about Romney, the Tea Party, to make it short: anything that’s even remotely “right wing” in the US.

Of course, what makes it worse is that a lot of people in the EUSSR don’t speak English. Thus they can only gobble up what the MSM tells them to think. And when I look at newspapers around here 99.99999% of the info about Romney, or Republicans in general, is outright false and simple made up.

Obama can join the EUSSR “government”. No pesky elections there. He can be high commissar of the EUSSR. None of the commissars has ever been elected by anyone. Similar to the new EU ministers.

Yeah, I call them commissars. I know the English term is commissioners, but in German they’re called commissar and I find it much more fitting for their “job.” It’s what they are. Barroso et al are political commissars.

Which is why I’ve said this for a while now: Americans, pull your troops out of the EUSSR. You don’t want your boys to be here when this pile of horse manure explodes. You don’t want to get involved. You mustn’t get involved. It’s not worth it. Eww-rope with its Euro-peons is a lost cause.

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- Nobugginme
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 4:48pm
  You’re so American you sweat burgers.
  
  Report this comment
CMDR6
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:05am
Exactly why this POTUS POS needs to be fired and then deported to Europe. Let him reign over there. They deserve him and Michelle.

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John 3:16
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:57am
Europeans need a nanny state because they are so dependent on someone to care for them. They say they know Obama better? Obama has never been vetted and operates behind closed doors, so how could that be? Europeans are just weak willed people in general, that is why Hitler just waltzed across Europe until he met the independent AMERICANS who kicked is stinky **** out. Well they can have this communist dictator Obama if they want him, Dumbo will be a free agent in November unless we can get congress to send him to a prison where he belongs.

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- Edohiguma
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:08am
  There are Europeans (better called Euro-peons) and there are citizens of whatever country.
  
  I’m not European. I’m Austrian. And I wouldn’t vote for Obama even if my life depended on it. Better dead than red.
  
  Report this comment
- Edohiguma
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 9:14am
  Also little history lessons:
  
  The British stood their ground. The Poles, too, with what little equipment they had. Resistance was especially active in France, plus the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway. The people didn’t surrender, their so called leaders did (notable exception is of course Sir Winston Churchill.) Just like today.
  
  Report this comment
- Bellini
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 12:24pm
  Hi Edohiguma,
  
  You are probably aware of this but Austrians themselves resisted very strongly for a few years, before the war. The president resisted as long as he could but the Nazis assassinated him, and there were many other coups and large scale battles before Austria surrendered. Hitler eventually did obtain popular support through propaganda.
  
  Report this comment
Sil in CNY
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:53am
Of course they like Obama….he’s all about redistribution of wealth which is the European (socialist) way! It’s also why our ancestors left those countries and came here! 5 More Days till we fundamentally RESTORE the United States of America!

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- DOra Glasberg
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 10:59am
  The English are not happy that Dubya dragged England into that
  pointless lied into war in Iraq.
  It’s not for nothing they called Tony Blair his ‘poodle’.
  You folks have no sense of history, even recent history.
  Romney has surrounded himself with Bush’s war mongers.
  Your thought processes are so shallow and based solely on
  your already existing opinions.
  
  Report this comment
- dblaess
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 12:25pm
  @DOra Glasberg
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 10:59am
  The English are not happy that Dubya dragged England into that
  pointless lied into war in Iraq.
  It’s not for nothing they called Tony Blair his ‘poodle’.
  You folks have no sense of history, even recent history.
  Romney has surrounded himself with Bush’s war mongers.
  Your thought processes are so shallow and based solely on
  your already existing opinions.
  ————————————————
  Simple solution. Have Obama resign in the U.S., go to Europe and become head of the European Union system. Win/Win.
  
  Report this comment
Ailene Wright
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:52am
The voters in this country are largely ignorant of facts and issues. I doubt the Europeans are paying close attention, if any, to our issues either. Most have probably never heard of Mitt Romney but the Obama name is recognizable.

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- vpeva1
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 11:22am
  They are aware trust me. We just got back from Norway and received all kinds of looks when we said we were for Romney. They dont understand/agree with our role in the world. It’s okay though, I gave them back such looks when they explained to me that it was cheaper to by a new car every two years then pay a governmental fine for any bodily damage done to it. Talk about love of appearances….that’s NOT my way of living life. Especially when a good USED car (no bodily defects) costs 30,000 American dollars. What a waist!
  
  Report this comment
Stoic one
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:49am
In an “american Idol” type popularity contest Bathhouse Barry is hands down the better candidate…for now. He has not done a worthwhile thing for this country . that is his problem.

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- DOra Glasberg
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 12:19pm
  I think the ‘bathhouse’ thing loses votes – for Romney.
  
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- Git-R-Done
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:58pm
  Dumb Dora – Then us Americans should do the opposite of what you and the pathetic Eurotrash want since you and the Eurotrash are used to mediocrity. Even America’s poor are better off than the European middle class.
  
  Report this comment
hempstead1944
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:42am
Do you REALLY want to live in a place that would vote for Obama? Oops…….sorry we do and very soon our country will look like Northern Europe and be as broke and pathetic,,,,,

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- TheEDGE
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 11:29am
  And as Muslim.
  
  Report this comment
jcldwl
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:41am
Why is this story here? Who gives a rat’s a** they aren’t voting for our president. I find these articles about who people in other country’s would vote for as our president insulting.

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Metallicat
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:38am
If Europe didnt suck and have such poor leadership,there would have been no incentive in becoming American.Programmed to be peasants, Europeans think like Obama,they despise and want to destroy what makes America superior to them,and want to divide up the loot after She falls and becomes a UN puppet state. Obama and Europeans hate the US Constitution because it stands in the way of US policies being dictated by the UN.

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SycamoreFan
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:37am
Obama really does have some great endorsements.
Spain would be 95%
Greece, Cuba, China, Russia would be 100%
Chicago would be 127%

Obama endorsed by the Communist Party of the USA, Chavez, Castro and Charley Sheen.

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Eastinfection
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:36am
Of course Europe wants our president to be Obama…

They want the U.S. to fail.. like all lefties, they base their self-esteem on the failures of others rather than their own success.

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dublinthewagons
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:26am
How about this. Jan. 21, 2013 we ship the Obama family to Europe. Let him destroy their countries.

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- Gonzo
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:37am
  I 2nd that.
  
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Mil-Dot
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:26am
You see, the Eups have no experience with the American blacks. They deal with real Africans, the ones that actually had to run away from lions and heyenas in order to survive. Real Africans look upon the American black as a joke. Just ask them. They cannot grasp the entitlement and reparation mentality of the USA “africans”. Anybody that has ever engaged them would not vote for the goon Obam bam.

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Quiata
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:15am
…As if the opinions of people whose societies are currently circling the fiscal and cultural drain actually matter.

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cemerius
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:13am
Europe? Who cares? We left Europe BECAUSE of their idiocy!!

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toiletclogga
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:07am
That is why most of our predecessors left the Europe trash heap!

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- Mil-Dot
  Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:28am
  To whom did they ask the question? Eup teens? Those idiots? What did they expect people that rolled over and let invaders take their land to say?
  
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bhelmet
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:01am
Who cares what the Europeans think – they are happy with their status quo – we are not.

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jungle J
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 8:00am
Only the most greedy or mentally ill or racist would vote for Obama….the sane understand.

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