Obama Heads To Europe - image Huffington Post
As Obama is set to visit Europe this coming weekReuters is asking if Obama will maintain his appeal in the “Old World”, or will European’s give him the same treatment of disdain that he received in Asia. The analysis opens with sarcasm:
“If President Barack Obama is not yet convinced that his international star power has faded, his next round of transatlantic summitry should clear up any lingering doubts.”
According to Reuters, Europeans will be leery of the U.S. President over economic policy difference and the fact that U.S. allies feel “neglected”. Cited as one of the major issues he must overcome is the perception of weakness over the 2010 mid-term elections. Of course, that is followed by his problematic trip to Asia, where his economic policies, specifically as to world trade, were called into question by the Chinese.
How a U.S. President is perceived around the globe matters – to the President. If a President is seen as being weak, both at home and abroad, political opportunities as to reelection are greatly diminished. Unfortunately, no matter what political ideology and or temperament a sitting U.S. President may have, the Europeans (i.e. global community) appears to find fault. The more a U.S. President is perceived in the States as being more interested in his/her popularity globally, the chances for a second term are greatly diminished.
The Europeans had little love for Ronald Regan, less for George W. Bush and even Bill Clinton had some issues – but it was the perception of how the aforementioned were received in the U.S. and how they viewed the U.S. as being in a position of power, which brought respect. (Note: Clinton was and remains the most popular abroad.)
Obama’s approach is more akin to that of former President Jimmy Carter, who, barely 15 months into his Presidency, was already seen as weak in the eyes of the Europeans . (See Google News and excerpt image below.)
Jimmy Carter Perceived as Weak by Europeans 15 months into Presidency - Google News Archives
Simply put, when a U.S. President appears to care more for how they are perceived outside the U.S., then their stock both in the U.S. and globally appears to decline. It may not be seem fair, to some, to make comparisons between Obama and Carter, however, their approach to world views, economics, and domestic policies are so similar it is as if one is blindly following the path of the other. From bailouts, and increased entitlement programs, to the world’s perception of a weakened U.S. Commander in Chief, the historical significance of the two Progressive Leaders cannot be dismissed. It is the President that views the United States as having a position of strength, and makes no apologies, regardless of the “world view”, who is most successful. No U.S. President will ever be viewed as anything other than an upstart from a country which was once merely a colony of hooligans who rebuked their European “betters”. It is an historical fact that seems to elude the Progressive mindset – those who would prefer the U.S. was, for better or worse, the paradise they see as Europe through their rose colored elitist glasses, fare far less well, when it comes to the ballot box and the court of U.S. public opinion. Therefore, the die may already be cast, and Obama-Carter may come away from Europe, with little gain in popularity abroad, and less at home.
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