British predict Obama wins by landslide

LONDON | Keith Ramsay learned his U.S. politics by watching seven seasons of the “West Wing” and would vote for actor Martin Sheen if he could.

Because Mr. Sheen is not running in the real world, Mr. Ramsay said he would cast his vote - if he had one - for Sen. Barack Obama, because “he’s a new broom and he probably couldn’t make things any worse.”

From the mayor of London to this nation’s own “Joe the Plumber,” Obamamania has rolled across the British isles like a tsunami. Every public opinion poll here in the past two months has reflected British confidence that Mr. Obama will be elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday by a landslide of 66 percent, 70 percent or 64 percent.

Elsewhere in Europe, Obamamania is equally, if not more, dramatic: 83 percent in Switzerland, 69 percent in France for two such examples.

Still, there are pockets where enthusiasm for the Democratic candidate is less pronounced, particularly the conservative Midlands and West Country of England, where suspicion of anything new and different is endemic.

Mr. Ramsay, a motor car company worker and a Midlander, told The Washington Times: “Obama is a mystery man to us. To me he’s the man from nowhere.”

Mr. Ramsay, clearly unaware that Mr. Obama visited Europe this past summer, wondered aloud: “Has he ever been east of Washington, D.C.?”

Others were also ambivalent about the candidate.

Mental health worker Elizabeth Hopkins said Mr. Obama “lacks experience and wisdom,” although she did say she wouldn’t give up on him totally.

“I would say to him, give the presidency another shot in 2012, and in the meantime make the most of those years by gaining experience and personal development,” she said. “He needs a more statesmanlike quality to convince me.”

Information technology consultant Paul Andrews also put distance between himself and the Obama craze.

“Obama is a great orator and very charismatic,” he said, “but I feel there is no substance in what he delivers verbally.”

Mr. Andrews said he would have preferred a presidential race between Mitt Romney and Hillary Rodham Clinton, in which case he would have voted for the latter.

“Change is good,” he said, “but America is foolish to rush headfirst into change for change’s sake.”

Pat Murdoch and her daughter, Caroline, both involved in public relations, said they were impressed by the Republican ticket, largely because of Sarah Palin’s presence on it.

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