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  • The 2016 election has proven to be one of the most unexpected and divided elections in recent history.

  • But outside of the United States, there seems to be less of a divide over the two candidates,

  • and more of a surprise at the overall state of affairs in the United States.

  • So we reached out around the world to find out, what exactly do non-Americans think of

  • the 2016 Election?

  • Well, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are generally seen as controversial, but for

  • a wide majority of the world, Trump is the center of their focus.

  • I think everyone has heard about this quote you know about banning Muslims. I just thought that was utterly disgusting.

  • Some people were slightly concerned about their safety. They're like if Donald Trump wins, it's not going to end up well for Iran.

  • If I were an American citizen, I would definitely vote for abstentions. Neither Secretary Clinton nor Mister Trump are trustworthy.

  • Trump’s popularity has been a bit of a shock, so much so that for many, the frontrunner,

  • Clinton, is at the back of their minds.

  • There's some email thing which is going on recently, but I just don't think it grabs people's attention and to want to talk about it enough

  • You know, any conversations being had here, is not an "I hate Hillary" one, it's more of "what on earth is Donald Trump getting up to."

  • In the UK, Clinton has also been repeatedly compared to Margaret Thatcher, who was famously

  • and widely disliked but considered a strong and decisive leader.

  • Similar comparisons have been made in Germany as well, which currently has a center-right

  • leaning female leader.

  • An election week poll found that 86% of Germans would sooner vote for Clinton compared to

  • just 4% for Trump.

  • I would vote for the democrats and therefore Hilary Clinton, even though I don't necessarily agree with her politics.

  • In Germany, we used to vote for parties rather than people, so I guess the cause of the entire party is more important to us than the individuals.

  • Notably, the potential election of a female president has not been seen asgroundbreaking

  • outside of the US, where female leaders have become ubiquitous.

  • Nonetheless, in more socially progressive countries like France, Clinton’s appeal

  • stands out, especially in light of Trump.

  • I think that her program speaks to me because several of its core principles are close to what we get in France and what we are very attached to.

  • Across the Pacific, those living in Mexico, are no less willing to hide their disdain,

  • than Trump has been willing to make inflammatory comments about their country.

  • One Mexican academic compared the fear of Latinos in the US to the fear of communism

  • in the 1950s, predicting a “brown panicbrought on by Trump’s rhetoric.

  • As for Clinton, many in Mexico clearly prefer her to the alternative, with one law student

  • telling the LA Times, “She’s an intelligent woman and knows Mexico, and it appears that

  • she supports immigration.”

  • But people from other countries, particularly in the Middle East, don’t seem altogether

  • excited about a Clinton presidency.

  • A report in June by the Washington Post showed that Egyptians seem less concerned with who

  • becomes president, and expect the result to be roughly the same for them: negative.

  • Not far away, Iranians similarly seems guarded, especially in light of the recent nuclear

  • deal.

  • There was a sense of fear, people were asking me like how is Donald Trump qualified

  • How is it that possible they're letting someone like that run for the election. He will definitely override the deal.

  • Interestingly, many Israelis have shown support for Trump, although the common thread ofanyone

  • who supports Israelseems more important than the candidates themselves.

  • Trump, as a Republican, is more likely to unconditionally support Israel, while there

  • are some fears of Clinton continuing the US’s allied but critical stance, despite her overall

  • support.

  • The biggest difference between the US and the rest of the world seems to be the level

  • of shock surrounding Trump’s success.

  • One German academic wrote, “Trump’s unstoppable rise is seen mostly as a symptom of a distinctly

  • American disease.

  • In no other democracy in the world, it is said, could voters be so openly motivated

  • by greed, show so little concern for less-privileged fellow citizens and be so politically ignorant.”

  • Nonetheless, while Clinton is the preferred choice, she is not without criticism by the

  • rest of the world.

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The 2016 election has proven to be one of the most unexpected and divided elections in recent history.

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