Europe on Obama
A recent post here may require a modicum of revision. Or, may not.
In “Signs of the End of Obama’s Reign?” I posited the view that the disintegration of the president’s support among two prime constituencies could foreshadow his defeat in November.
Based on international opinion, my observation may have been somewhat premature, presuming Americans should give a damn about what envious and crumbling nations think about us.
It’s incontrovertible that President Barack Hussein Obama has lost significant support among black and Jewish communities but he still maintains a (now-qualified) backing of many foreigners.
Most of the world still seems enamored of America’s first semi-black commander in chief, although a distinct patina of disillusionment now clouds his reputation and legacy.
In Germany especially but also in many other countries, Obama has lost the giddy popularity that helped fill stadiums and the airwaves in 2008 with visions of hope, change, and animosity toward Bush43 dancing in European heads.
However, a recent Pew survey of 26,000 people in 21 countries found that approval of Obama’s policies had fallen markedly, that “Overall confidence in Obama and attitudes toward the US have slipped modestly . . . [and] some of the greatest slippage has occurred in Germany.”
Der Spiegel reports that Germans mostly object to Obama’s “unilateralism; his use of force, particularly drone strikes; his inaction with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian situation and his lack of effort in curbing climate change.”
Yet, inexplicably despite those misgivings, 87% of Germans “still have overwhelming confidence in Obama’s overall international leadership. . . And nine out of 10 Germans want to see Obama re-elected.”
That’s the equivalent of believing the guy is a failure but we like him so re-elect him, anyway.
On the flip side, barely half of Germans favorably regard the US, down from 64% since 2009, with Teutonic elders in the forefront of the disapproving. In addition, most Germans and other nationalities perceive China, not America, as the planet’s pre-eminent “economic power.”
Only bankrupt Greece has a lower opinion of us.
So, what conclusions should we draw from all that news and all those percentages?
First of all, Obamians should not be too discouraged because “Obama Girl,” the hottie . . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=25540.)
A recent post here may require a modicum of revision. Or, may not.
In “Signs of the End of Obama’s Reign?” I posited the view that the disintegration of the president’s support among two prime constituencies could foreshadow his defeat in November.
Based on international opinion, my observation may have been somewhat premature, presuming Americans should give a damn about what envious and crumbling nations think about us.
It’s incontrovertible that President Barack Hussein Obama has lost significant support among black and Jewish communities but he still maintains a (now-qualified) backing of many foreigners.
Most of the world still seems enamored of America’s first semi-black commander in chief, although a distinct patina of disillusionment now clouds his reputation and legacy.
In Germany especially but also in many other countries, Obama has lost the giddy popularity that helped fill stadiums and the airwaves in 2008 with visions of hope, change, and animosity toward Bush43 dancing in European heads.
However, a recent Pew survey of 26,000 people in 21 countries found that approval of Obama’s policies had fallen markedly, that “Overall confidence in Obama and attitudes toward the US have slipped modestly . . . [and] some of the greatest slippage has occurred in Germany.”
Der Spiegel reports that Germans mostly object to Obama’s “unilateralism; his use of force, particularly drone strikes; his inaction with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian situation and his lack of effort in curbing climate change.”
Yet, inexplicably despite those misgivings, 87% of Germans “still have overwhelming confidence in Obama’s overall international leadership. . . And nine out of 10 Germans want to see Obama re-elected.”
That’s the equivalent of believing the guy is a failure but we like him so re-elect him, anyway.
On the flip side, barely half of Germans favorably regard the US, down from 64% since 2009, with Teutonic elders in the forefront of the disapproving. In addition, most Germans and other nationalities perceive China, not America, as the planet’s pre-eminent “economic power.”
Only bankrupt Greece has a lower opinion of us.
So, what conclusions should we draw from all that news and all those percentages?
First of all, Obamians should not be too discouraged because “Obama Girl,” the hottie . . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=25540.)
