As the US presidential race takes an international stage this month, new coverage is emerging on how the citizens of Latin American and Caribbean countries view Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, and their prospective presidencies.According the Miami Herald this past weekend, "many residents say they like the youth and promise of change of Sen. Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic nominee. But many others say they like Sen. John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, for his stance in favor of free trade."
A recent Pew Center survey in select countries across the world shows that Obama holds a considerable global edge in support over McCain - as high as 43 points (on average) in Europe. In the two Latin American countries included (Mexico and Brazil), Obama leads by a combined 16 points.
The Pew poll notwithstanding, many contend that Latin America and the Caribbean continues to struggle with entrenched racism and race-based social stratification - in ways often more subtle and complicated than in the US. These reasons, among others, might contribue to the small margin of support for Obama compared to other major world regions.
The Herald's Andres Oppenheimer has assembled a three-part series on how the people in the region see the US presidential race:
Part I - Focus on Obama
Part II - Focus on McCain
Part III - Focus on Caribbean
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