Palin big in Niue
Well I voted for Barack Obama along with 758,041 others in the world who had no direct stake in the outcome of the US election. That's not quite true since 275,000 of those who voted in this internet poll live in the United States.
But that still leaves nearly 600,000 people in other parts of the world who chipped in their vote. Just over 868,000 voted in total. Of those 110,000 voted for John McCain (12.7 per cent). The rest (87.3 per cent) went for Obama.
In the US 80 per cent went for Obama and 20 per cent for McCain. The big difference between these figures and the contestants' respective shares of the actual popular vote - 53 per cent Obama, 46 per cent McCain - is the internet demographic.
Net generation
I don't have the figures for that but we can assume that a big majority of those who were voting in the online poll were part of the "net generation" - younger people who grew up with the internet.
It was also interesting, looking at the breakdown of national votes, to see the relatively large number of voters in Portugal (as large as that in the UK), a country where English is the second language. Some 118,000 voted in Canada and 60,000 in Australia. This is not a bad way of gauging US influence around the world.
This says some significant things as far as I can see: First, Obama's campaign made a massive impact all around the world; second, young people believe in this man; third what happens in US politics matters to non-Americans.
Statistical aberration
OK, so he may have a few continuing foreign policy issues with Venezuela (41 per cent republican), Albania (51 per cent) and Macedonia (84 per cent) - I will overlook Niue (100 per cent) since I had never heard of the place and the one person who voted may be a statistical aberration (I bet he or she has never been called that before).
Reading up on Niue, it looks as though its inhabits may be best left alone as they were, mostly, for 200 years by passing sailors who called the place "Savage Island."
I have another idea, if Sarah Palin is thinking of running in 2012 she should run in Niue instead, or Macedonia or Albania. She'd be welcome there.....if she can find her way.
But that still leaves nearly 600,000 people in other parts of the world who chipped in their vote. Just over 868,000 voted in total. Of those 110,000 voted for John McCain (12.7 per cent). The rest (87.3 per cent) went for Obama.
In the US 80 per cent went for Obama and 20 per cent for McCain. The big difference between these figures and the contestants' respective shares of the actual popular vote - 53 per cent Obama, 46 per cent McCain - is the internet demographic.
Net generation
I don't have the figures for that but we can assume that a big majority of those who were voting in the online poll were part of the "net generation" - younger people who grew up with the internet.
It was also interesting, looking at the breakdown of national votes, to see the relatively large number of voters in Portugal (as large as that in the UK), a country where English is the second language. Some 118,000 voted in Canada and 60,000 in Australia. This is not a bad way of gauging US influence around the world.
This says some significant things as far as I can see: First, Obama's campaign made a massive impact all around the world; second, young people believe in this man; third what happens in US politics matters to non-Americans.
Statistical aberration
OK, so he may have a few continuing foreign policy issues with Venezuela (41 per cent republican), Albania (51 per cent) and Macedonia (84 per cent) - I will overlook Niue (100 per cent) since I had never heard of the place and the one person who voted may be a statistical aberration (I bet he or she has never been called that before).
Reading up on Niue, it looks as though its inhabits may be best left alone as they were, mostly, for 200 years by passing sailors who called the place "Savage Island."
I have another idea, if Sarah Palin is thinking of running in 2012 she should run in Niue instead, or Macedonia or Albania. She'd be welcome there.....if she can find her way.
Labels: Albania, Barack Obama, John McCain, Macedonia, net generation, Niue, portugal, Savage Island, Venezuela
posted by Richard Donkin at
11:10 AM
3 Comments:
Niue is the smallest soveriegn nation on earth with a population of 1100. They are staunch Labour (working class) voters as will be seen by tomorrows New Zealand elections where there is a population of some 20,000 Niueans. The one McCain vote WAS an aberration maybe a tourist. Palin wouldn't normally have a chance except perhaps from the neo colonialist NZ high commission and their cohorts from Wellington. The Niue flag has a Union Jack on it.
Mark, Niue
Mark, I'm heartened to discover that Niue isn't thinking of throwing its lot with Macedonia and Albania.
Incidentally, I understand the reason for Macedonia's large republican vote was a popular reaction against Obama for supporting Greece on a dispute between the two countries.
Greece objects to Macedonia's choice of country name since Greece has a province of the same name with an ethnic Macedonian minority and fears that Macedonia (or what the UN calls the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) will stake a claim on it. This is a big issue for both countries and the Macedonians are unhappy that Barack Obama supported the Greek stance in a Senate resolution. So he didn't get their vote.
If you do happen to unmask your Republican please be kind to him/her. That's a cool flag by the way.
I was reading a little about Niue and notice there seem to be a lot of empty properties. What a shame. It looks a lovely place.
Richard
PS. The Palin comment was a joke. I'm sure you wouldn't want her either.
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