May 28, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Two-in-five adults in Canada would like Democrat Barack Obama to take over from George W. Bush in the United States, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 43 per cent of respondents say they would like to see the Illinois senator win this year’s U.S. presidential election.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Two-in-five adults in Canada would like Democrat Barack Obama to take over from George W. Bush in the United States, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 43 per cent of respondents say they would like to see the Illinois senator win this year’s U.S. presidential election.

Democratic New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is second on the list with 29 per cent, followed by Republican Arizona senator John McCain with 12 per cent.

McCain has become the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee in 2008, while Rodham Clinton and Obama are seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination.

Earlier this year, the Canadian government faced criticism over the so-called NAFTA-gate episode, which refers to three separate leaks: a Feb. 26 remark by Ian Brodie, chief of staff to Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, who alleged that Rodham Clinton was kidding about renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); a report by CTV claiming that Obama’s campaign had told Canada that his attacks on NAFTA were not serious; and a Canadian diplomatic memo obtained by the Associated Press, which cites Obama’s economic adviser Austan Goolsbee saying to Canada’s consul-general in Chicago, Georges Rioux, that Obama’s statements about NAFTA "should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans."

On May 23, an official report cleared Brodie of breaching any confidentiality rules. Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the inquiry, saying, "This has been a case of the Republican farm team in Ottawa trying to deliver something on behalf of the Republican candidate in the United States. All the evidence from the Democrats is that they are not happy."

Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The U.S. presidential election is scheduled for Nov. 4.

Polling Data

As you may know, the United States will elect a new president this year. Which of these three candidates would you most like to see the win the election?

Barack Obama	43%
Hillary Rodham Clinton	29%
John McCain	12%
None of them	16%

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,005 Canadian adults, conducted from May 21 to May 22, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

Other poll highlights:

Favourable views: Obama 66%, Americans in General 62%, Rodham Clinton 56%, McCain 29%. U.S. Government 22%, George W. Bush 10%
Bill Clinton seen as Canada’s greatest friend in the White House since 1969 (31%); George W. Bush regarded as Canada’s worst friend (48%)

 

Complete Poll (PDF)

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