Image via WikipediaOn the eve of what must be one of the most eagerly anticipated vice presidential debates in US history, it's interesting to consider the global impact of the presidential contest. Given the uncertain results of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, along with the current economic crisis, it may be questioned whether the US President is still the most powerful office in the world. But other nations clearly have a stake in the outcome.Now the Economist has given voice to voters and non-voters worldwide with an online Global Electoral College, where any registered user can cast a vote for John McCain or Barack Obama. And the world chooses...?
Well, Obama. By a huge margin of the 17,000-odd people who've voted so far. I suspect it's Obama's stated willingness to talk before bombing, his nuanced understanding of foreign cultures, and his more inclusive style that give him global appeal as much as his specific policies. Or maybe it's just the kind of folks who read the Economist.
It should be noted that McCain leads the polling in Macedonia and Andorra, and El Salvador is too close to call.
Vote yourself at www.economist.com/vote2008/index.cfm
