Three Quarters (76%) of Canadians Believe Obama's Election a `Good Thing'--Up a Whopping 50 Points over What They Thought of Bush at Outset of His 2004 Term

Toronto, ON - Three quarters (76%) of Canadians believe the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States is a `good thing' --up a full 50 points compared with data collected on the eve of President Bush's second inauguration in 2004 when only 26% thought his re-election was a `good thing'.

According to the new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global National Television, just 3% think his election as President of the United States is a `bad thing', whereas 8% think it's `both' good and bad, 6% think it's `neither', and 7% say they `don't know'.

With promises of a new era, many have set their expectations of how the new President will be able to impact various issues in America and the World. According to the poll, a majority (52%) of Canadians believe that these expectations are `overblown and people are expecting way too much of him and his new administration'.

This compares with just under one half (45%) who believe that expectations are `pretty much just right', and only 3% who believe the expectations are `less than should be expected of him and his administration'.

And while, as shown below, Canadians have very modest expectations on what substantive issues the new President will actually be able to have an impact on in his first year in office, there is one overarching area that is not met with light or hesitant belief:

• Over four in ten (43%) believe that the new President will have a `big impact' on improving the image of the U.S. around the world, while another four in ten (38%) believe he'll have a `medium impact', totalling 81% who believe he'll have an impact on this area.
• Just 14% say his impact on this issue will be `small', and only 5% think he'll have `no impact at all' in this regard.

When it comes to other issues, here's how most Canadians believe the new President will have an impact during his first year in office:

• Half (49%) believe he'll have a `medium impact' on getting the US economy back on the right track while three in ten (28%) think he'll have a `small impact' and 5% think he'll have `no impact' at all. Only two in ten (19%) believe he'll have a big impact on this issue.
• Half (47%) believe he'll have a `medium impact' on getting the US auto industry back on the right track while one in three (34%) thinks the impact will be `small' and one in ten (8%) thinks he'll have `no impact' at all. An additional one in ten (11%) believe he will have a `big impact' on this issue.
• Just over a third (36%) think he'll have a `medium impact' on helping bring peace to the Middle East while one in three (35%) believe he'll have a `small impact' (35%), and two in ten (17%) think he'll have `no impact' at all. Only one in ten (12%) think he'll have a `big impact' on this issue.
• Just under half (45%) think he'll have a `small impact' on making real progress on Global Warming while three in ten (30%) believe he'll have a `medium impact', and two in ten (17%) believe he will have `no impact' at all in his first year in office. Only 7% think he'll have a `big impact' on this issue.

These are the findings of a poll conducted on behalf of Canwest News Service and Global National from January 13 to 15, 2009. This online survey of 1016 Canadian adults was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results of these polls are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online polls, however, an unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had the entire adult population of Canada been polled.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

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Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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