THE FOREIGN VOTE….Do foreign leaders really want John Kerry to win the election? Of course they do. Take a look at this comment from foreign-policy expert Ivo Daalder:
Does being closely associated with the Bush administration mean you can lose an election?
This is the third election of a major ally in which the party running against George Bush won. Look at Germany in ’02, South Korea in ’03, and now Spain. The message is: If you want to get re-elected, don’t go to Crawford. Bush is a political liability — in Europe, in particular. His foreign policy has trampled on the European views and it’s now resulting in the election of governments that do not support his approach.
It barely even matters if they like the guy or if they like his policies. What matters is that foreign leaders know that as long as Bush is president they’re in an impossible position: support him and lose reelection (Spain 2004) or oppose him and earn the wrath of the United States (Germany 2002). If Kerry gets elected they can breathe a sign of relief and go back to supporting the United States and winning reelection.
Of course they want Kerry to win.
