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Europe: Thumbs up for Obama?

Why it is thought that US presidential candidates need to go overseas before an election is a tad puzzling, but Obama is headed for Europe in the next days. How will they react? And how will the electorate back home view his travels and how is greeted whilst away? McCain has already been abroad to various places.

The LA Times considers the questions and issues which arise from Obama's upcoming visit to Europe:

"From prime ministers to college students, Europeans want to cloak Barack Obama in a warm embrace when he arrives on the continent next week. But they're also aware that anything that looks or smells like elitist Old Europe could hurt the Democratic contender with voters back home.

"Obama has yet to finalize his itinerary for Europe. However, he is already set to skip Brussels, the capital of the modern united continent, for the traditional symbols of economic and military power: London, Paris and Berlin.

All those European capitals' leaders have expressed a willingness to adapt their schedules to see the American politician whose sky-high approval ratings in their countries are at least as good as their own. Polls reveal that if they could vote in the United States, between 53% and 72% of the British, French and German public would pull the lever for Obama."

Read the full piece here.

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