Obama effect lifts America above France, Germany and Japan in esteem of Britons

It may be a temporary effect but there has been a significant improvement in British citizens' view of America since Senator Barack Obama won last Tuesday's General Election.

PoliticsHome.com has been tracking the regard with which British citizens hold other nations for six months.  The biggest previous shifts were towards China (during its earthquake and then the Olympics) and then towards Russia (when opinion soured markedly during the conflict with Georgia).  The 'Obama effect' is greater than any of those three previous big shifts.

BRITISH VOTERS' VIEW OF AMERICA, CHINA AND RUSSIA

Please click on image to enlarge.

Comparing America with more mainstream nations produces a less dramatic picture but it is notable that since Barack Obama was elected America has overtaken France, Germany and Japan in the number of British adults holding a positive view minus those holding a negative view:

In alliance with PoliticsHome.com, AmericaInTheWorld will continue to watch how approval of America changes in response to Barack Obama's decisions.  The PoliticsHome5000 tracks the opinions of a politically balanced panel of 5,000 UK citizens.

Comments

[Westminster Wolf]

Interesting that the whole US election drama lifted views of America too.

[P to the J]

It must have been bad for America to be behind France and Germany in the eyes of the British.

[Bill in Chicago]

I don't understand why anyone in Britain (or the U.S.) would have a favorable view of Saudi Arabia. Folks need to get a clue:

http://www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com

[abdul rahim]

the election of obama lays bare the hypocrisy of european countries that have mocked US racism for decades. let them look at their own navels for awhile.

[Steevo]

It also shows the span of time before and after revealing the whimsical nature of polls and for no apparent reason different feelings for the rest of the world one way or the other, tho not as dramatic as with America.

I wonder how Americans feel toward Brits now as compared to a few years ago. We certainly don't look down on them as they us but I would assume feelings are less positive, likely because of their feelings for us.

[Jim]

Why the (relative) negative opinion of Brazil?

[productive worker]

To me this shows just how vapid the average person is.

What concrete changes have been made to US policy that would cause this change in opinion?

[jonny bullet]

Oh come on steevo, a little cheese w/your whine? I don't know any one here that has a bad view of you Brits, at least any one that has an education. All people are susceptible to the flim-flam especially when the cr@p is scared out of them, and this was my beef w/my country men so they kept a buffoon as POTUS because he liked to rattle sabers and conduct diplomacy in a bellicose manor all the while hiding the fact he was chicken s@@@.So we like you all over there stiff upper lip and all, you are the original John Wayne. We were on the wrong path for a while {prodigal son and all}so strap it on and buckle up we are baaaack!

[Steevo]

Jonny, I'm American.

[meditteranean girl]

we love you again for sending the imbecile cannibals home

[George]

Take that, Sarkozy!

[Austin]

Ironic that Britain thinks more of the American North, American Blacks, Hispanics, and less of the American South where most Whites are conservative and of British descent.
Are the British more excited about Obama being half Kenyan [while nearly all U.S. Blacks are West African-Americans] or full-blooded socialist?
Check back in four years.