Why should American care what people in other countries think about our election

What happens here effects the rest of the world in one way or another. Why they want Obama, I have no clue, but seriously, why should we believe their media is any more honest to them than ours is to us?

being from Norway I feel I need to say something about this. i would not give a rats a.. about your election if it were not for your countrys eagerness to play a role in everyones life over the entire world. Seeing that most US presidents take it upon themselves to decide who gets to run other countries, and has strong opinions about how other nations go about running their countries, invited or not, I feel that your elections has a strong inpact on my life. Mr Bush, for instance, I feel is a huge threath to me and my life. I think his way of dealing with foreign policy is extremely dangerous for many people around the globe. I do not have much to say about the swiss elections or the polish elections as I do not feel it has that huge an inpact on me and my life. It is not only when it comes to foreign policy your election has something to say for me. Also the way you manage your economy will have something to say for my economic situation. That is what taking the role of a world superpower does: other people are affected by your actions and therefor take an interest in what you do.

I agree with you. I don't think it's their concern who we elect for President. I donot know who is the President of most countries, and I donot care. I think some of those people are interested because the candidate they are interested in might have the same values and ideas as they have in their country so they want that candidate to win the elections. It could be they think there might be some financial benefit or security benefit for their country.

Frankly, it is none of their business. I don't care what some foreigner has to say about our elections because they do not have a vote, therefore they do not have a voice. It is as simple as that.

I live in Canada and I love the United States. It is a wonderful country and I do not want to see Obama win. Up here, we have homosexual rights, gay=marriages, dislike of homosexuality is a hate crime (not just beating someone over the head with a baseball bat, but even quoting Romans 1,etc.) so if the time comes when Christians and other religions are persecuted for standing up for traditional marriages, it might be that the United States would be the only place where they could flee to. So we want to see an America that protects traditional families and punishes people for the crimes, not for who they are committing offense against, just in case our Canadian government falls deeper into wrong and perversion. That is why I am concerned.

What I have noticed is that people who hate the USA do not hate it without reason. What the world should realize is that the politicians do NOT represent the average U.S. Citizen. Corporations do not represent us either. It is important to know the world around you, who is in control of what countries. I don't know the president of Mexico, but was quite shocked to find out that he hands out pamphlets to the people there on how to best sneak over the Mexico/U.S.A. border. In the Dominican Republic, they have a billboard telling their citizens to come and live the good life in Reading,Pennsylvania (I live 35 miles from there) I feel stupid for NOT knowing who runs the Dominican Republic. They just had a riot at reading high school on a dominican holiday involving 1,500 immigrant students. There is a list floating around that has several HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S. companies that put American workers out of work in favor of cheaper and unregulated foreign labor... Know who the real enemy is... I don't hate everyone from india because U.S. corporations destroyed our domestic Information Technology job market in favor of those Bangalore "campus" I.T. workplaces... I hate the U.S. companies responsible AND the idiot politicians who enable them. China got alot of our jobs, but NONE of our safety procedures, I feel BAD for the citizens of china forced to work in dangerous jobs with NO safety equipment. I am from the U.S.A., worked my whole life to barely scrape by on the bills generated by living in the land of the "free"... I am voting for Obama for sure. Most foreign countries would not HATE the U.S.A. if they were not involving themselves in everybody else's affairs so a few rich idiots could make even more money. I think Obama might be the catalyst for change that is badly needed here.

I have a gut feeling that you started this discussion knowing all the answers to it and pretty well knowing that it is a good discussion too. Well since the day the dollar has become an international standard it has become the care of many nations to care of the presidents and their policies to change into Euro or whatever. Since America started acting as the policeman of the world it has become necessary to care about the next American president and his whims and fancies. Since America has started poking it's nose in another countries internal affairs and started invading them at the guise of some thing that they are unable to prove it has become the concern of the people of other nations to worry about the next presidents mental make up. Otherwise there is no need for the people of the other nations to care the least about who or what is going to become the president of America.

The person we put in the White House every four years has a profound effect on lives around the world and I would expect people from other nations to have some interest. We are electing the most powerful leader on earth. the sad part is that usually only 55% or less of the elegible US population bothers to go to the polls. Hopefully, with the amount of interest generated by the Democratic primaries, we'll be able to greatly up that statistic. I haven't noticed the way world opinion is going on this election (other than that they are glad to see Bush go) but I haven't really been looking for it. I live in Pennsylvania and I'm pretty focused on our April primary right now. One thing I've found though, is that ongoing BBC coverage of the US election and primaries is the best. If you ever want to know what states are read or blue and how many electoral votes they each have, go too BBCnews.com. It's the best!

Well there are good reasons for people in general to bother about America - they fear their own lives! Anyone seen the documentary Zeitgeist? I think it is so damn convincing that the WTC was not destroyed by incoming planes as was said! It was just an excuse to cover up - the real motive was obviously world domination in the name of anti terrorism. See the case of Iraq. It is 100% evident that oil was the only reason to invade Iraq; every other reason is just nonsense. I think there are reasons the whole world needs to take note of the activities in America.

Don't we like to call ourselves the world's only "Super Power"? If that's what we are then of course the rest of the world is going to care who our leader is going to be and since we are part of the world, we should at least respect that. I for one hope people from around the world don't judge all of us by our current leadership because we're really not all arrogant and spiteful. We really don't all think we have the right to tell others how to live their lives or who should run their countries or how they should be run. I also realize what happens with our foreign policy has a huge bearing on other nations, even those not directly involved. The same goes with our economy - as our economy goes so goes much of the world, unfortunately. Personally, I like to hear from our members from other countries in discussion on the U.S. election. You're certainly all welcome in my discussions on the topic! Annie

Like it or not, we now live in a world that is not just "smaller" in the travel and transportation sense, but interconnected in ways we cannot always predict. Regardless of where we live, major ploitical figures should be of interest to people who do international business and, vicariously, anyone who depends on those people. The President of the United States is believed to affect foreign trade policies to such an extent that, even ignoring America's "older, wiser brother" attitude in politics, the election is of supreme importance to knowledgable individuals all over the world. If you ask me, which you did, the best way to view the situation is to be honored so much of the world is so interested.

Most Americans don't really understand the working of our government. Watch Jay Leno and see him ask questions any school child of the fifth grade should know but the average person in and out of this country does not have a clue who really runs this country..big business..if big business is losing factories and jobs go over seas..or the union has to give in all the pay and benefits concessions..then Big Business seems to be winning as they are bringing in record proftits.

It's not just you, I too wonder that. But I guess it has to do with global information. Why do we care so much (often more than we care about this country) what is done in other countries? I'd say it is only caring as far as it effects USA. What one country does can often effect something we do with that country or something that country can do detramental to us. How will what other countries do, effect us is more a way to look at it. Don't really care how it effects them, but we need to know how it will effect USA.

I don't know much about the U.S candidates and you probably know more. I have also have comments about this but not on a certain candidate, just a peaceful one. Since the actions of United States is effecting whole world, (especially my country) I think I have a right to mention my opinion to the other people who would like to read (or hear) that. Anyway, the ones who wouldn't like to hear can simply ignore.

We all know that when America sneezes, every human being on planet earth catches a cold-look at the current fall of the value of the dollar and the general economic distress in America, in my own country Uganda, the business men are unsettled and prices are erratic-that is why good leadership in America is Good for us all! We want a less adventurous leader in America, the one that will pull the marines home and leave the Iraqis to sort out their own country in their style, the one who will not prop dictators in Africa, the one who will not be showing double standards in big political decisions, the kinds we see being taken against Zimbabwe, yet dictators such as Menez Zinawe and Muzeveni are being eulogized by Bush- we want a good leader in America-we even wish we had voting power to decide who rules America!!

I have no comments about this, but i do really enjoy of reading your discussion and all responses here. Very interesting thinking from everyone. I'm not U.S and I do not live in U.S, but I watch news everyday and they all talk about U.S election. I have not seen any speech from any candidates but if I were U.S I will vote for Obama because he is the only want I can the honest from his talks.

I'll tell you why cause you mdf have so much import and export around the world that it affects everyone for example..you get rubber from china and the next administration does not want to get the rubber from china he wants it else where. Another wars: You mdf don't mind your own bussines you go to places like Iraq or North Korea then sell your weapons or say some dumb things like "America will help" what if the next president does not want to help or give aid to poor countries. You understand now..? hope you do=)

I think America should care more about what its citizens think about our elections rather than worry about what other countries think. we are the people who elect these idiots into office and we should darn well at least pick the least obnoxious of the litter to run our government. granted we do not have a very promising bunch of candidates to pick from.

I think our politicians do tend to stick their noses where it doesnt belong. It's sad people hate the USA. Our politicians generally do not represent the everyday american. I can not say its wrong for others to care about our elections. We care about the elections in Iraq and voice opinions about it. Why?...because we feel it affects us. I do think people should be less hateful towards americans as a whole...we are not all money hungry fools.

I'm also a member in other country but I sometimes alos think about the USA's election.I think the present will be a woman.I wonder will all the americances will recieve it.