What the general public sees is a bunch of exotic cities they can't understand, like "Sydney, Tokyo, Dubai" etc.  All the "foreign-ness" gets in the way.  Europe, on the other hand, is well within the cultural framework of the US (most Americans are descended from immigrants from Europe, usually several countries).  The reason Europe is a target for the right in the US is because it is a valid comparison.  

Take for example the stupid lists that have been everywhere the past few years on yahoo.com and other news site that always list this stuff. Forbes makes half the lists.  It's always "Top 10 cities for blah blah blah" and all that.  People read them but they've grown stale because there's really nothing new there.  Solution?  Add some more cities!  I'd love to see the "Top Cities for Young Singles" list include a bunch of European cities along with the US ones.  Do the same for housing affordability, job growth, etc.  It doesn't matter that the information has no practical value.