Canada’s love affair with Barack Obama

[babylonsister]

Canada’s love affair with Barack Obama

We like him more than Americans do, with some small concerns
Tags: Barack Obama, Canada, poll

Canada’s love affair with Barack Obama




We love him, with an asterisk. The broad-band smile, the Lincolnesque bearing, the sense of the man as an avatar of multiculturalism—it all makes Barack Obama the perfect U.S. president in the eyes of Canadians. Heaven knows we’ve been waiting. When the motorcade rolls down Wellington Street next week, or pulls up to Rideau Hall, you can expect dewy-eyed kids to line barricades with paper flags, no matter how foul the Ottawa weather. Eighty-two per cent of us say we approve of Obama, the polls indicate, and the number requires a moment to digest. Never mind American politicians. Who’s the last American we can say that about?

When Angus Reid Strategies quizzed Canadians last week on behalf of Maclean’s, the lines practically glowed with excitement over a perceived new era in Canada-U.S. relations. More than half of respondents said they think Obama’s economic policies will be good for Canada—however bleak the outlook for the U.S. economy. Same went for his energy policy, while fully six out of 10 voiced support for his environmental program (remember that?), suggesting Stephen Harper got it right when he proposed a plan to coordinate the two countries’ climate change strategies.

The results spoke to the affinity Canadians have felt toward Obama since he burst onto the U.S. electoral scene, setting a fresh tone for a country a lot of us had given up trying to understand. After eight years of voicing diffidence, if not scorn toward the previous administration, 41 per cent of our respondents want greater ties with the U.S., compared to just nine per cent who think we should distance ourselves from our southern neighbours (44 per cent think we should maintain the same level). And it’s clear that Canadians are flattered by his decision to put us so near the top of his itinerary: 61 per cent of those polled say they plan to follow media coverage of the visit, which will last only half a day.

To describe this as a break with the recent past is near-sinful understatement. The last time Canadians were asked, we rated George W. Bush’s global leadership below that of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and we have consistently voiced hope to pollsters that better relations were around the corner. Even Americans aren’t as bullish as Canadians on Obama these days, giving him still-generous approval ratings between 64 and 73 per cent, depending on who’s doing the polling. In Washington, things have been downright tough: two of Obama’s key political appointees have been forced to withdraw due to tax irregularities, and his stimulus package has been subject to a wall of partisan opposition in Congress. He may be glad for five hours in a place where the honeymoon remains in full swing.

more...

http://blog.macleans.ca/2009/02/13/canadas-love-affair-with-barack-obama/

[Spazito]

1. Yep, we do love your guy and are....

green with envy, we want him or, at the very least, someone like him as our leader!

Thanks for posting this, I had not seen this article. I knew he was popular here but, damn, 82%, wow!

Edited to add: Our new Liberal leader has friends in high places in the Obama Administration, our current POS Prime Minister can only count the bushites as friends, lol.

Ignatieff has friends in Obama's White House


Ignatieff is good friends with Samantha Power, a senior adviser to Obama during his presidential campaign, a member of his transition team and now a member of the National Security Council.

Ignatieff met Power, a Pulitzer Prize winning author, journalist and academic, when he became director of the Carr Centre. Power was the centre's founding executive director.

He also became friends with Power's husband, Cass Sunstein, a Harvard professor and constitutional law expert who now heads up the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

more

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090214/ignatieff_obama_090214/20090214?hub=Canada

[Captain Hilts]

2. Bush was NEVER forgiven for 3 things...

1) Making his first foreign trip to Mexico, instead of the traditional Canada trip. Not such a big deal. BUT, combined with...
2) Not hosting the first state dinner for Canada - another tradition, was bad

BUT THE WORST WAS...

Not mentioning Canada in his Sept. 11th speech to Congress. He thanked MEXICO, not CANADA after all the Canadians did for us on that day. This was unforgiveable, and, combined with the other two acts, sealed the deal.

[EraOfResponsibility]

3. I read a post on another blog from this Canadian woman who said

and I quote: "I have decided that Obama is now Canada's President. Yep, that's it, it's settled, our President" LOL

[firedupdem]

4. It's nice to have a good representative for our country. n/t

[Joe the Liberal]

5. I'm sure Canada's version of Obama will come along one day......

but hopefully it wont be because some right wing, neocon, fascist, pig ruins everything and it's up to an Obama like candidate to come in and try to set things right.

[xenussister]

6. Ah geez, the Comments section got freeped

At first you think, there sure are a bunch of stupid right wingers in Canada too, but as you read further many are Americans bashing Obama. I think that article got freeped. I didn't read all of the Comments, it was too sickening.

Otherwise, it was nice to read! I love that he's going to Canada first.


Edit to add, wow, someone gave me a heart! Thanks!

[newview88]

7. Yup I'm Canadian and completely smitten.

Okay...maybe obsessed is a better word.

Stephen Harper who?