Obama favored in international survey

PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Worldwide support for Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama over his Republican rival is extensive, a months-long Gallup Poll indicates.

Among the 70 countries surveyed between May and September, 30 percent of the citizens said they personally would rather see Obama elected U.S. president, compared with 8 percent who say they would like to see John McCain in office, poll results indicated. Sixty-two percent of world citizens surveyed did not offer an opinion.

The Princeton, N.J., polling agency said citizens worldwide are more divided over whether the outcome of the U.S. election would make a difference to their country -- with 31 percent saying the election does affect their country and 21 percent saying it doesn't. Forty-nine percent did not express an opinion.

Overall, citizens in Europe are the most likely to state a preference for the next U.S. president and to think the election made a difference to their country, pollsters said. Citizens in Asia are the least likely to state a preference or say the U.S. election would make a difference to their country. In individual countries, only Georgia and the Philippines prefer McCain to Obama.