Opinion: Oh, Canada, O-bama
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How are our friends up North looking at this year’s presidential election? Here’s some polling of citizens in what is hands-down the greatest British Commonwealth member nation bordering the contiguous U.S. states as well as Alaska:
» 43% [of Canadians] want Barack Obama to win the U.S. presidential election, 29% choose Hillary Rodham Clinton, 12% pick John McCain » 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%).
I’m surprised, though pleased, by that high grade for ‘Americans in General.’ The full breakdown [pdf] is not terribly shocking (e.g., Bush is not popular anywhere in the Great White North, but he’s least unpopular in the Canadian heartland). Nevertheless, the popularity of Obama is somewhat unexpected, given his unstated but obvious plan to annex seven Canadian provinces.