The
transformation of Obama's
image By Dinesh Sharma
Barack Obama's tenure as president of the
United States has coincided with several
intersecting global trends that have accounted for
major challenges and opportunities for his
leadership: the threat of radical Islam in the
post-September 11 world and the rising power of
China.
While he has beaten back the
terrorist elements significantly, it has left a
huge shadow on his global image, especially on the
Muslim street, according to a report by Pew
Research. Many are openly wondering: Who is the
real Obama, someone who seems to have transformed
himself "from dreams to drones"?
On the
other hand, the rise of China during the global
financial crisis has left the US image somewhat
deflated globally. Many US allies now see China as
the economic superpower, while the
US economy seems
stalled. A large majority of Germans, English,
French and Spanish citizens now identify China as
the leading engine of growth, according to the Pew
report.
Every idealization is followed by
some form of disillusionment, according to
psychoanalysts. This truism applies to politics as
well, where an unspoken bond ties ordinary
citizens to an extraordinary leader.
It is
not surprising that after almost four of years of
unrelenting obstructionism from Republicans on the
domestic issues, the toll of the drawdown of the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the great global
economic recession, the approval of President
Obama around the world has come down to earth,
according to the latest poll by Pew Research.
It is somewhat surprising that it did not
happen sooner. You might think that Obama is made
of kryptonite or that he is Superman or a Jedi
warrior. Well, that is what many people thought
when he was elected. Today, people have a more
realistic view of his powers in office, and a
better understanding of the formidable powers of
persuasion he possesses as a leader.
While
higher than his predecessors, the overall
confidence in him and the US global presence have
slipped. While traditional allies remain confident
throughout Europe and Japan, Obama's approval has
slipped because of tough policy decisions.
Muslim populations have become predictably
more critical of him, rooted in clear
disillusionment with his policies. An unclenched
hand of friendship with the Muslim world is now
perceived as an unmanned drone that threatens to
kill them.
A milder form of disappointment
characterizes overall ratings for the United
States in the European Union and Japan, but the US
image remains largely positive and trustworthy. In
Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan, however, US
power is unpopular and not trusted.
Obama's image has also suffered in China,
where confidence in the US president has declined
by 24 percentage points, while the approval of his
policies has dropped by 30 points.
While
many at home fear US economic decline, overseas
people continue to worry about the role of US
military under the Obama administration. Despite
the real changes the administration has brought to
the country's image abroad, "there remains a
widespread perception that the US acts
unilaterally and does not consider the interests
of other countries", according to the Pew report.
In Muslim nations, anti-terrorism efforts
are seen as nefarious and overreaching. There is
nearly unanimous opposition to the way the Obama
administration has executed its anti-terrorism
policy using the drone strikes. Pew Research
reports that in 17 of 20 countries, a majority
disapprove of US drones targeting extremist groups
in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
While
Americans at home approve of the drone strikes -
Republicans overwhelmingly (74%), as do a majority
of independents (60%) and Democrats (58%) - the
view on the Muslim street and generally around the
world is that they are an overextension of US
power.
However, despite disillusionment
with Obama's image and policies, he maintains a
deep reservoir of support in Europe. A significant
majority in France, Germany, Britain, Spain, Italy
and the Czech Republic would like to see him
re-elected, while most Brazilians and Japanese
agree with this. In the Middle East, however,
there is no love lost for Obama, where a majority
of Egyptians, Jordanians and Lebanese oppose
Obama's re-election.
In 2009, the
expectations were clearly very high. Many around
the world thought that Obama would be an
enlightened leader who would:
consider their country's interests when making
policy;
conduct military action with international
approval;
try to resolve the conflict between the
Israelis and Palestinians fairly; and
make climate change a priority. Many around
the world feel their hopes have been dashed. Obama
gathers high marks, however, for addressing the
global economy and the crisis in the euro zone.
Despite the sense of malaise about Obama's
policies, the likelihood of his re-election is
seen as especially high in Europe, Japan and
Brazil. Among the traditional allies, there is
near-certainty that he will be re-elected, which
is rather disheartening for the Republicans.
The generally negative opinion against
Obama in the Muslim world is symbolized by the
drone attacks, where he has turned out to be more
hawkish than originally perceived. This again is a
potential strength in the general election against
a presidential candidate like Mitt Romney, who is
sounding even more hawkish than Obama on foreign
policy.
In general, publics around the
world are turned off by politics in the US and
have shown a decreased interest in the 2012
election.
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