The initial lack of interest was surprising with many feeling that whoever got into power it was America’s effect on Britain that was the real issue. The whole election campaign underwhelmed 18-year-old Poppy Lane, a charity worker from Norman Hill, Huddersfield. ‘I don’t know who the candidates are. All I know is that there’s a woman who keeps going on about hockey mums - I don’t like her.’ I think it’s unlikely to affect us who wins until they start interfering with our own countries decisions, which I guess they eventually will do. Politics really doesn’t interest me.’
Gillian Merrett, 55, Care worker from Boscombe, Dorset favoured Obama but was similarly uninterested in the proceedings. ‘I’m not really interested at all, if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be Obama. Whoever gets in though, I don’t think anything they do over there is going to affect us. Not any more than it has done already.’ 
Maintenance man Neil Smales, 49, from Holm on the Wood, Hull was equally flippant about the whole thing but highlighted Obama’s media campaign as well as the poor job George Bush has done in his time as president. ‘I’m really not bothered with it but I think Obama will win because of the way he’s been portrayed in the media, like some sort of hero of something. I don’t know if either of them will make a difference over here but I suppose they cant do a worse job than Bush.’
Another Bush-basher, 45-year-old social worker Diana Marsh from Keswick Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth also thought Obama would win citing a lack of faith in Republican leadership as the main reason. ‘ I don’t feel that the American election will affect me this time around. Obviously Bush really ruined thing’s for the whole world, and Blair was basically his pet. I think the Americans will vote for Obama this time around. I think the Republicans have got a backlash on their hands after eight years of, you know, basically total danger!’
The general rancor felt by the public towards both the Republican government and its supporters was back up by James Keighley’s comments, which also highlighted the implications of the racial side of the campaign. The 27-year-old Restaurant manager from Ruskin Road, Tottenham, London said, ‘I want Obama to win because everyone’s had enough of Republicans, I wanted Hilary Clinton in to be honest, I thought she was a better suited candidate, but I suppose as long as the Democrats win its alright. Obama is obviously better for the world in general but there are a lot of right-wing Americans over there that just aren’t ready for a black president, its going to be tight I think but I hope Obama scrapes through.’
Obama supporters where not hard to find and soon enough Grace Carley, a 17-year-old student from Launceston Place, South Kensington London was telling us why she thought Obama should be in the Whitehouse. ‘Obama for president! I like him because he seems to be neutral; he just wants what’s best for America I think. McCain’s a bit of an idiot and some of his views are just ridiculous, like no abortion, what’s that about? I loved it when he said he was going to “find Osama Bin Laden” I thought that was hilarious, shows he was desperate though, making claims like that.’
Dementia care trainer, 50-year-old Jackie O’Tool from Upper Hinton Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, also felt strongly that Obama should win, as well as being anti McCain. ‘I really hope Obama wins; there’s a real need for change over there. I think he’s a peace loving man and Americans are really too gung ho with their guns, so maybe he can do something about that. I don’t like McCain, I’m not too keen on his proposed war, I think it would be really bad if he got into office.’
Sharon Reid, 40, housewife from Bagshot Road, Ascot, Winchester, held a similar belief, believing that McCain’s policies as his downfall. When they debate I don’t think there’s much to choose between the two really. I don’t agree with a lot of McCain’s policies though like his views on guns and war, I think Obama would have a stricter view on the gun laws, which would be good. Sarah Palin doesn’t really seem to know what she’s doing either; McCain just plucked her from the middle of nowhere as a publicity stunt. McCain’s been too involved before as well, I think he’s probably been corrupted already, at least Obama has a chance not to be.
The general view of McCain was of a man who was too old to do the job with right wing beliefs and underhand tactics. Simon Jones, 30, Fireman from Celtic Crescent, Dorchester, Dorset savaged McCain with his appraisal of the campaign. ‘I hate McCain he’s far to conservative and America needs some fresh ideas at the moment, that’s why I want Obama to win. The other side have been trying to paint a bad picture of him lately though, which shows how worried they are I suppose. Like pointing out things like the fact he’s Muslim and stuff like that, you really shouldn’t use things like peoples religion against them, especially when McCain’s views like the whole pro-life thing are so far-right, it’s a pretty silly game to play. 
The attacks on John McCain’s suitability as a leader and the reputability of his office continued with Dennis Grainger, a 53-year-old retired business manager from Marble Street, Salford, Manchester. He added ‘Obama, if McCain gets in he’ll pop his clogs or something. I don’t like Palin, there’s something about her that I don’t trust. To be honest I haven’t really been following it although I saw something in the paper about a neo-Nazi group planning to assassinate Obama because he’s black, I think that’s disgusting, I think that just shows everything that’s wrong with America really.’
Robert Wirrall, 36, Businessman from Dorchester, Dorset was vehemently anti-McCain and also dislike Sarah Palin not believing that she had enough experience to do the job properly. ‘Well obviously I want Obama to win. Apparently the hype for him over in New York is incredible, but New York is one of the liberal states, so you cant really read too much into it. McCain’s views scare me, and that Sarah Palin has no experience in the field at all. I read somewhere that her degree is in journalism, which is bad for a woman who could potentially be president – no offence! But McCain is so old you know? I don’t know if he’s got four years left in him, and if Palin becomes president, I cant see how anyone could sleep at night!’
Becky Jackson had the most extreme stance on McCain’s views. The 25-year-old teaching assistant from Fleet, Hampshire said, ‘I think you’d have to be crazy to want McCain to win – his views are insane. Having said that I do think that the sort of, Deep South Americans strongly believe in him, although surely they can’t be pro-life! Obama is the change America needs – the change the world needs really. It’s terrifying to think of another four years under a Republican president because it affects the entire world.’Overall then public opinion, in Bournemouth at least, is pro Obama, anti McCain with Obama’s peaceful nature and less controversial policies winning out. McCain’s hard lines on abortion and foreign policy appear to be alienating him from public en masse and many see his appointment of Sarah Palin as running partner as a publicity stunt. Who will get voted in on November 4th? Nobody knows, but if the election where held in Bournemouth, I would put my money on Obama being the first black president of the USA.
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