So who would the enemy pick?

[Pector55]

There ya have it. Russians prefer Obama. If a candidate is ever considered "more pro-Russian" by a Russian, it scares me that we would even consider them.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would triumph over President Dmitry Medvedev if presidential polls were held this weekend, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday.

A separate survey showed that if Russians were allowed to vote in U.S. polls, they would prefer Democrat Barack Obama to Republican John McCain.

The polls follow Russia's intervention in Georgia last month to crush Tbilisi's attempt to retake a pro-Moscow separatist region of South Ossetia.

Moscow defied Western threats of punitive action and recognized South Ossetia and another breakaway province, Abkhazia, as independent.

Medvedev, a handpicked successor of Putin who took office in May, assumed the leading role during the conflict. But in many episodes Putin's firebrand anti-Western statements overshadowed his performance.

When asked by independent pollster the Levada Centre which of the two they would vote for if elections were held next week, Russians preferred Putin, giving him 33 percent backing against 14 percent for Medvedev.

No other candidate received more than 4 per cent, Levada said. It surveyed 1,600 Russians in 10 cities between August 15-18 on who they would back if elections were held the following Sunday. Some 44 percent did not indicate if, or how, they would vote.

Pollsters for state-run VTsIOM found that if Russians could vote in U.S. elections, the Republicans would get little support, though most of those queried did no give a view.

Obama would receive 27 percent support and McCain 6 percent, VTsIOM found, in the September 6-7 poll of 1,600 Russians.

"I attribute our findings mainly to the fact that McCain has made more anti-Russian rhetoric. Obama seemed to be a little more pro-Russian," Olga Kamenchuk, VIsIOM communications director, told Reuters.
Levada found strong public support of 80 percent in favor of Russia's decision to recognize South Ossetia in a second poll carried out on September 5-8.

The survey found public opinion was against another Kremlin policy -- leaving a permanent military presence in Georgia's breakaway regions, a policy the Kremlin announced this week.

While 46 percent said they endorsed the presence of Russian peacekeepers, only 34 percent said they wanted regular Russian soldiers there, in a sign that public support for the Georgian policy is not unconditional.

A further 11 percent backed either UN or EU peacekeepers and 9 percent gave no view.

(Reporting by Conor Sweeney; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

[PocketProtector]

Yep The messiah is picking up endorsements by the dozen.
'Nuff said.

[LorDiego01]

I dont think they are Pro-Obama as much as they are Anti-McCain.

They know McCain is senile and insane, and that's a bad combination when he'd have the finger on the red-button.

[str8shooter]

IMHO, the guys a sleeper. Not even his family can figure out where he was born, two hospitals have records of his birth, early education began in a radical muslim country, adopted (maybe), unverifiable background. Raised by grandparents, yet had money for Columbia and Harvard. Wins a Senate seat practically uncontested when the Republican candidate suddenly drops out. Wins the Democratic nomination with a seemingly unlimited amount of money, yet not taking any from public funding, and would like nothing more than to disarm every American.

Makes me wonder if he has a pilot's license too.

[Koli01]

Makes me wonder if he has a pilot's license too.

No need for license. He probably only learned to steer. No need to take off or land.

[adymond]

I dont think they are Pro-Obama as much as they are Anti-McCain.

They know McCain is senile and insane, and that's a bad combination when he'd have the finger on the red-button.

Wow I'm glad to find out that being 72 makes you senile. I guess he's insane because he was a POW. Man he's dangerous. I really actually want a guy with his finger on the button that people like Putin and President Tom from Iran will be afraid of. I don't want to be their friend.

[Dredly]

I'm surprised all of our Allies aren't voting for McCain - Status quo, keep things as they are, no one messes with our allies

Our enemies voting Obama, we'll sit down and chat over coffee, figure out what you don't like about us and then change it so you do like it

Neutral countries would probably vote for Ron Paul, Get Americans out of foreign countries and there would be no more major wars. sure you'll still have the minor ones but the UN and NATO won't do anything without the US/

[adymond]

I'm surprised all of our Allies aren't voting for McCain - Status quo, keep things as they are, no one messes with our allies

Our enemies voting Obama, we'll sit down and chat over coffee, figure out what you don't like about us and then change it so you do like it

Neutral countries would probably vote for Ron Paul, Get Americans out of foreign countries and there would be no more major wars. sure you'll still have the minor ones but the UN and NATO won't do anything without the US/

I think that's a stretch. I guess the US staying isolated prior to WWI worked to avoid major wars. Weren't we sort of isolationists prior to WWII also? I mean you know if we stick within our own borders Iran will not try to dominate the Middle East and wipe Isreal off the map. Russia won't begin to dismantle NATO by taking over large portions of the former Soviet Union if not totally grabbing up the Eastern Europe countries.

[sluggie24]

I think that's a stretch. I guess the US staying isolated prior to WWI worked to avoid major wars. Weren't we sort of isolationists prior to WWII also? I mean you know if we stick within our own borders Iran will not try to dominate the Middle East and wipe Isreal off the map. Russia won't begin to dismantle NATO by taking over large portions of the former Soviet Union if not totally grabbing up the Eastern Europe countries.

Don't blame the US for 2 wars because a bunch of countries in Europe (and Asia) were and are filled with panzies. If they had taken care of their own problems we would never have been drawn in and the wars would have been smaller than they were. We are not the policeman for the world!

If we stay out of the Middle East and say "game on" Israel would probably wipe a few countries off the map and that may not be the worst thing.

Nato and the UN have very little power without our military. That is a simple fact. The other countries do not have the manpower, weapons or will to do many of the things that need to be done. Nato and the UN would fall apart simply by the US withdrawing from them as many other countries would probably follow suit hoping to join us in a new organization. If Rusia starts grabbing land from other countries then they better deal with it and not go looking for other counties to send their sons to die for them.

[adymond]

Don't blame the US for 2 wars because a bunch of countries in Europe (and Asia) were and are filled with panzies. If they had taken care of their own problems we would never have been drawn in and the wars would have been smaller than they were. We are not the policeman for the world!

If we stay out of the Middle East and say "game on" Israel would probably wipe a few countries off the map and that may not be the worst thing.

Nato and the UN have very little power without our military. That is a simple fact. The other countries do not have the manpower, weapons or will to do many of the things that need to be done. Nato and the UN would fall apart simply by the US withdrawing from them as many other countries would probably follow suit hoping to join us in a new organization. If Rusia starts grabbing land from other countries then they better deal with it and not go looking for other counties to send their sons to die for them.

I did not blame the US for any wars. I am pointing out that isolationism is a foolish policy that has been shown to be ineffective in the past. It does not prevent wars and it does not garuntee our protection.

If we stay out of the middle east Isreal is an island unto themselves and will be swallowed. without our support and the support of our allies Isreal will cease to exist. How will it benefit our country to be more beholden to fanatics and not have a presence in the region that serves to remind said fanatics that we are not isolated and neither are they.

I agree that NATO and the UN are totally reliant on the US. How is having NATO abolished to our benefit? I guess you would say that what happens over there doesn't impact us right? I guess we don't have ANY economic interests in eastern Europe. Or that we really don't need defensive positions in eastern Europe. I guess if Russia dominates the oil flowing to Europe and the middle east fanatics along with Chavex in Venezula will become all buddy buddy with us if we just see the error of our ways and withdraw to within our own borders. They won't use control of the oil production to increase their wealth and use the increased wealth to build armies that could stand against us. I guess we are self reliant at this point in time so we don't need to worry about what happens outside of our border.

There is another thread about how bad things have gotten when neighbors can sit on their porch and drink beer while someone yells for help. I mean our only neighbors are Mexico and Canada right? This whole idea of world police is thrown around a lot, but I don't know if it is really bad that we stand up against dictators (I think it has been selective and shouldn't be) around the world. We have neighbors and interactions with countries around the world and we need to protect those interests.

Should we try to become more self reliant? Of course, we should. We are not there now and I don't think we will EVER be 100% self reliant. Unless we are totally self sustaining we will always need to be involved in international geopolitics.