Confidence in Obama lifts US Image Around the World

[Savonarola]

Heard this yesterday on All Things Considered.  I think their pundits almost broke free of their NPR-drone while delivering this story and very nearly expressed emotion.

Regardless I was wondering how the glorious nation of Languideshistan viewed the US now. 

From the Pew Research Center:

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1289/global-attitudes-survey-2009-obama-lifts-america-image

Confidence in Obama Lifts U.S. Image Around the World
Most Muslim Publics Not So Easily Moved
July 23, 2009

Overview
The image of the United States has improved markedly in most parts of the world, reflecting global confidence in Barack Obama. In many countries opinions of the United States are now about as positive as they were at the beginning of the decade before George W. Bush took office. Improvements in the U.S. image have been most pronounced in Western Europe, where favorable ratings for both the nation and the American people have soared. But opinions of America have also become more positive in key countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, as well.

Signs of improvement in views of America are seen even in some predominantly Muslim countries that held overwhelmingly negative views of the United States in the Bush years. The most notable increase occurred in Indonesia, where people are well aware of Obama's family ties to the country and where favorable ratings of the U.S. nearly doubled this year.

However for the most part, opinions of the U.S. among Muslims in the Middle East remain largely unfavorable, despite some positive movement in the numbers in Jordan and Egypt. Animosity toward the U.S., however, continues to run deep and unabated in Turkey, the Palestinian territories and Pakistan.

Israel stands out in the poll as the only public among the 25 surveyed where the current U.S. rating is lower than in past surveys. 1

In contrast, in Germany favorable opinion of the U.S. jumped from 31% in 2008 to 64% in the current survey.

Large boosts in U.S. favorability ratings since last year are also recorded in Britain, Spain and France. In its own hemisphere, America's image rose markedly in Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Improvements in U.S. ratings are less evident in countries where the country's image had not declined consistently during the Bush years, including Poland, Japan and South Korea. Opinions of the U.S. remain very positive in the African nations of Kenya and Nigeria, while increasing significantly in India and China.

The new survey by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, conducted May 18 to June 16, finds that confidence in Barack Obama's foreign policy judgments stands behind a resurgent U.S. image in many countries. Belief that Obama will "do the right thing in world affairs" is now nearly universal in Western countries, where lack of confidence in President Bush had been almost as prevalent for much of his time in office. In France and Germany, no fewer than nine-in-ten express confidence in the new American president, exceeding the ratings achieved by Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel in their own countries.

In Asia, optimism about Obama is almost as extensive with 85% of Japanese and 81% of South Koreans expressing confidence in the American president, and only somewhat lower percentages expressing that view in India (77%) and China (64%). In Brazil, 76% have confidence in Obama, as do most Argentines (61%), despite their generally skeptical view of the U.S. as expressed in this and earlier surveys.

Even in some countries where the U.S. remains unpopular, significant percentages nonetheless say that they think Obama will do the right thing in international affairs. In Egypt and Jordan, sizable numbers have confidence in him -- 42% and 31% respectively. This represents a three-fold increase compared with opinions about President Bush in 2008. But in Pakistan and the Palestinian territories, ratings of Obama are only marginally better than the abysmal ratings accorded Bush. Again, Israel stands alone as the only country where Obama does not engender more confidence than did President Bush. And only about one-in-three Russians (37%) voice confidence in the new president, although this is still a considerably better rating than Bush received in 2008 (22%).

In most countries where opinions of the U.S. have improved, many say that Obama's election led them to have a more favorable view of the U.S. This admission is most apparent in Western Europe, Canada and Japan. In Indonesia, where opinion of America improved dramatically, no fewer than 73% say that his election bettered their opinion of the U.S. However even in countries where there was little or no upswing in the U.S.'s ratings, many people say that Obama's election has led them to think more favorably of the U.S. For example in Egypt and Turkey, where America's favorable ratings remain very low, as many as 38% in both countries say they have better opinions of the U.S. because of Obama. However, fewer than one-in-ten (9%) in Pakistan express that view.

More generally, analysis of the survey finds that views of the U.S. are being driven much more by personal confidence in Obama than by opinions about his specific policies. That is, opinions about Obama personally are more associated with views of the U.S. than are judgments of his policies that were tested in the poll.

There's a great deal more at the link, including graphs, national reactions to the Cairo speech and how Obama stacks up against Osama. 

[Ed Anger]

Fuck the goddamn world.

[Caliga]

There's been almost no change in US foreign policy since Obama took office.

The only thing I can think of is a mild thaw in US-Cuban relations (we lifted some family travel ban thingy).

[Valmy]

There's been almost no change in US foreign policy since Obama took office.

Well yes we did not cut and run in Iraq and Afghanistan...but anybody with a brain knew that.  Besides that what exactly are you thinking of?

[Savonarola]

There's been almost no change in US foreign policy since Obama took office.

The article says that the boost comes from personal confidence in Obama himself rather than any of his policies.

[Caliga]

Why do I need to think of anything to prove that nothing has changed?  Shouldn't someone who asserts that something has changed have to prove that something has changed?

[Caliga]

The article says that the boost comes from personal confidence in Obama himself rather than any of his policies.

Since it seems to me that all that matters with the Presidency now is style, not substance, I think we ought to just do away with it and set up a constitutional monarchy. 

[Valmy]

Why do I need to think of anything to prove that nothing has changed?  Shouldn't someone who asserts that something has changed have to prove that something has changed?

Because I heard an interesting breakdown of what Obama/Hillary (Obillary?) have done in Pakistan and the other Muslims countries and how it was different and how the Muslim governments were reacting.  Generally they were lukewarm but they seemed to have pretty ridiculous standards of success (Obama has not solved the Israel/Palestine conflict yet!  Booo!) on a report on the radio driving to work earlier this week and the impression I got was that there were, indeed, some new things being done despite the overall goals being generally the same.

I have not been reading a whole lot about foreign policies I was just wondering what you had heard and read that made you think everything was the same.  You stated that like it was a fact and it contradicted what I had been hearing so I wanted to know where you got that impression.

It was not 'OMG PROVE IT' or whatever.

[Valmy]

Since it seems to me that all that matters with the Presidency now is style, not substance, I think we ought to just do away with it and set up a constitutional monarchy. 

Style has always played a huge role in the Presidency.  George Washington sure had it.

[Grallon]

Why do I need to think of anything to prove that nothing has changed?  Shouldn't someone who asserts that something has changed have to prove that something has changed?

Attitude has changed.  Considering your profession you should be aware that "anything can be said, it's the manner in which you say it that counts".  The same applies here.  Naked power can only bring you so far before even your friends start turning on you.  Obama understands this while the arrogant Cheney administration didn't.




G.

[Neil]

I certainly have less respect for the American people.

[Valmy]

Obama understands this while the arrogant Cheney administration didn't.

Well we will see in the long run.

[Berkut]

I think this pretty much proves what I've been saying for the last several years about the roots of anti-Americanism having almost nothing to do with actual policy.

[Hansmeister]

There's been almost no change in US foreign policy since Obama took office.

The only thing I can think of is a mild thaw in US-Cuban relations (we lifted some family travel ban thingy).

There has been absolutely no change in the rest of the world's foreign policy towards the US.

Scratch that, Russia, Norks, and Iran have grown even more hostile, even while Obama prostrates himself before them, while Chavez seems to like Obama sucking his cock and supporting him in installing a dictator in Honduras.

[derspiess]

The only thing I can think of is a mild thaw in US-Cuban relations (we lifted some family travel ban thingy).

Funny thing is the US is still just as vilified in Cuba as it was under the previous administration.  So it's only one-sided, what little thaw there is.