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Silly. Obama is the most popular major leader in the world
z — (archived)

and he's already done much to repair the enormous damage to America's image wrought by 8 dreadful years of George Bush.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/07/obama-effect-considered.html

The Obama Effect Considered
by Renard Sexton @ 11:33 AM

President Obama has been described as many things - a Rorschach inkblot; a movement; a new America; a fraud; a demagogue. For whatever it is that he ultimately represents to the world -- the United States living up to its ideals, perhaps -- he is incredibly popular.

Among major world leaders, he polls by far the best among the global community :

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O6yyBo1yA_o/SmAzPXuy3pI/AAAAAAAAAC0/7nQNENGckX8/s1600-h/leadersopin.PNG


Among countries where the United States has a very poor image, for example among six Arab states in the Middle East, Obama widely outperforms.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_O6yyBo1yA_o/Sl3wyZ1qdNI/AAAAAAAAACE/-kikIv1B3WY/s1600-h/overallus.PNG


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O6yyBo1yA_o/Sl3xGsOrYqI/AAAAAAAAACM/lMaUGYGoBXU/s1600-h/obamaworld.PNG


What still is not clear, however, is how much of Obama's popularity is due to his own efforts, or those of his predecessor. For many in the global (and U.S.) community, a considerable portion of his charm is simply not being George W. Bush. Whether softening the US rhetoric on Iran, Cuba and Russia, making highly public statements about reducing civilians casualities in Afghanistan, or committing to less interventionism in Latin America, popular opinion is that the foreign policy of the Obama administration is a huge turnaround on the Bush years.

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