A new BBC World Service poll released shows that the rest of the world prefers Obama to McCain by a 4-to-1 margin. Over 22,500 people were polled in 22 countries comprising Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, the UAE and the UK. The poll was taken before the Conventions.
In 17 countries, the most common view was that US relations with the rest of the world would improve under Mr Obama.
If Republican Mr McCain were elected, the most common view was that relations would remain about the same.
The countries most optimistic that an Obama presidency would improve ties were US Nato allies - Canada (69%), Italy (64%), France (62%), Germany (61%), and the UK (54%) - as well as Australia (62%), along with Kenya (87%) and Nigeria (71%).
When asked whether the election as president of the African-American Mr Obama would "fundamentally change" their perception of the US, 46% said it would while 27% said it would not.
There is lots of information about the internal dynamics of the poll in the above mentioned article.
Indeed, when one talks about "foreign policy experience", it is worthwhile to recall not only that Obama has a degree from Columbia University in Foreign Relations, but that the rest of the world would vastly prefer to deal with him than with McCain. Even British Prime Minister Gordon Brown defied tradition and openly endorsed Obama yesterday.
The move is a striking break with tradition. British Prime Ministers in the past have largely declined to disclose their favourite American candidates.
Writing in an article in the Parliamentary Monitor magazine, Mr Brown said: "In the electrifying US presidential campaign, it is the Democrats who are generating the ideas to help people through more difficult times.
"To help prevent people from losing their home, Barack Obama has proposed a Foreclosure Prevention Fund to increase emergency pre-foreclosure counselling, and help families facing repossession."
Mr Brown does not mention Mr Obama's opponent, the Republican candidate John McCain, at all in the article.
And we've already seen the photo of a broadly smiling Nicholas Sarkozy giving the thumbs up with Obama.
Onward and upward!