Indians prefer Obama over McCain

Economist.com allows people around the world to choose their favoured US President

As the US presidential war rages on, The Economist is running its own poll on its website, Economist.com. The website has a Global Electoral College page, where people from across the globe can vote for who they think would make a better American President – John McCain or Barack Obama.

Before making a decision, people can refer to the various reports and analyses published on the website and view the backgrounds of the candidates. More than 1,500 votes have been placed from India and going by the results so far, Obama is the favourite with 86 per cent votes.

Speaking to afaqs! about the poll, Suprio Guha Thakurta, associate publisher, The Economist, India, says, “The purpose of the Economist.com site is to engage and debate with the readers. We observed that the whole world today is interested in the American elections and the idea came from this. It is a chance for people to voice their opinion on the subject.” TCS is the sponsor of the poll for North America, Europe and India.

Thakurta says that Economist.com received about 27 million page views in September, of which 0.5 million were from India. Though the US is the largest market for the magazine, the Indian market has doubled over last year, he adds.

The poll is being promoted on the Economist website and through an ad in the magazine. In addition, there will also be some PR support and online mailers sent out to promote the website, says Thakurta.

The Economist is working on building its brand presence in India through a TV, outdoor and print campaign.

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