Egypt loves Mitt?

Egypt’s own presidential election may be narrowing, but according to a new Brookings Institution poll, when it comes to who Egyptians would like to see in the White House next year, it’s not even close: 

Presented with a choice between President Obama and likely Republican candidate Mitt Romney, 73% said they preferred Romney, and only 25% chose Obama. It is unlikely that most Egyptians know much about Romney, and the choice is more likely to be an expression of disappointment with Obama.

Given the attitudes the survey found toward Israel and the United States, it does seem likely that Egyptians were treating this question as "Obama or other." Leading Egyptian Presidential candidate Amr Moussa is apparently one of the 25 percent. He told Christiane Amanpour of CNN that he hopes that if Romney is elected, he will reconsider his support for "the most fanatic Israeli current policies."

Unlike some of his GOP challengers, Romney did support the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, though he has blamed the Obama administration for allowing the Arab Spring to spin "out of control."