Finns overwhelmingly prefer Kerry over Bush -
US foreign policy panned
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If Finns could vote in the United States Presidential elections, 71% would choose the Democratic Party challenger John Kerry. According to a poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat, Incumbent George W. Bush would get the support of just 13%.
The survey, conducted by Suomen Gallup, also found widespread disapproval of Bush’s foreign policy, with 64% saying that their opinion of the United States had become more negative while he has been in office.
On the other hand, Finns do not believe that the result of the elections in the United States will have much of an effect on them; 59% believed that the elections had little or very little impact on Finland. Only three percent felt that the US elections had "very much significance" for Finland. About one third said that the elections were "fairly" significant for Finland.
Finnish foreign policy leaders get the endorsement of the Finnish people for their handling of relations with Washington, with 78% saying that Finland should follow the present course. Seven percent wanted closer ties with the US, and 12% wanted to take more distance to the Americans.
About one fifth felt that the European Union should work harder to serve as a counterbalance to the United States in world politics. On the other hand, a clear majority - 60% - felt that the EU should continue its present policy toward the US.
Just 17% felt that the EU should cooperate more closely with the United States.
The poll indicates that there are no geographical areas, social groups, or political parties in Finland which would prefer Bush over his challenger Kerry.
Among supporters of Finland’s non-socialist parties, there is clearly more understanding for the Republican Bush than on the political left. For instance, among supporters of the opposition National Coalition Party 22% say that they would vote for Bush, whereas only three percent of supporters of the Left Alliance would do so.
The same trend is reflected in the question of how the Finns’ image of the United States has developed. Among supporters of the Social Democratic Party, 77% say that their perception of the USA had become more negative, while the figure was 62% among supporters of the Centre Party.
An analysis of the data shows that the most likely Bush supporter in Finland would be a male entrepreneur aged 50 - 64 with a basic education, who votes for the National Coalition Party, and earns more than EUR 55,000 a year.
However, the Republican campaign would still have a rough time in Finland. Even though Finnish entrepreneurs have a greater number of supporters of the tax-cutting president than the rest of the population, only 17% of them would vote for Bush.
Bush, who is seen to favour the rich, would get the support of 19% of Finns with the highest incomes.
Age does not seem to be a significant factor in opinions toward the US elections. There is a slight gender gap: Bush would get the support of 16% of Finnish men and 11% of women.
There will be further analysis of Finnish attitudes toward the US election in our weekly section on Tuesday next week.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 1.10.2004 - TODAY |
 Finns overwhelmingly prefer Kerry over Bush -
US foreign policy panned |
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