How the world sees Obama
By Bruce Stokes, Special to CNN
Editor’s note: Bruce Stokes is director of global economic attitudes at the Pew Research Center. The views expressed are his own.
Beleaguered at home, U.S. President Barack Obama remains beloved in many nations abroad. And he is far more popular than his predecessor George W. Bush. But the bloom is definitely off the Obama rose.
Obama’s election in 2008 was widely approved of around the world, and there were high expectations for the incoming American leader, whose election seemed to promise an end to the anti-Americanism that had plagued Washington’s relations with the rest of the world for the past several years.
And, despite revelations such as National Security Agency spying on foreign leaders and the growing sense in the United States that President Obama is already a lame duck domestically, his continued (if somewhat diminished) favorability abroad suggests he remains a force to be reckoned with in international affairs. But will the president follow the well-trodden path of his predecessors in spending more time on foreign policy in their last years in office as their domestic influence has waned?
His popularity abroad suggests he might.
Today, Obama remains largely popular. Half or more of the public in 27 of 43 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center in 2014 said they had confidence in him to do the right thing in world affairs – his median positive approval rating is 55 percent, similar to the American public’s view of his handling of foreign policy. Indeed, in most nations, the public’s assessment of Obama’s performance is largely unchanged since 2013, and his image has dropped by double digits in just five nations – Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Russia and Japan. But it has risen appreciably in Israel and China.
Western Europeans’ views of Obama, meanwhile, remain quite positive, and the president hits ratings he can perhaps only dream of now back at home – more than eight-in-ten French and three quarters of Italians and British have confidence in the U.S. president doing the right thing internationally.
Indeed, revelations that Washington has read both Americans’ and some foreigners’ emails and listened in on their telephone conversations appears to have significantly damaged Obama’s approval in only one EU country, with Germans’ views of Obama falling 17 points in the last year. In addition, Russian faith in Obama, already quite low in 2013, is down 14 points to 29 percent, a likely casualty of the Ukraine confrontation. (Obama’s handling of that crisis has not won the U.S. president much support in Ukraine, either, where only 44 percent give him a positive grade).
Asians’ appreciation for President Obama echoes that of western Europeans – half or more of the publics in nine of 11 Asian nations surveyed have confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs. Such pro-Obama sentiment is particularly strong in the Philippines (89 percent) and South Korea (84 percent). About half of Chinese, meanwhile, now approve of his conduct internationally, up 20 points in the last year. Still, Just 7 percent of Pakistanis think highly of Obama, making them his most severe critics.
In Africa, Obama maintains a strong image, with half or more of the public in all seven nations surveyed giving Obama a positive rating. He is particularly appreciated in Kenya and Tanzania, where about three quarters of those surveyed approved of his performance.
Latin Americans take a more jaundiced view of the U.S. president. In just four of the nine countries in the survey do half or more approve of his conduct of foreign affairs, with the president’s highest rating a relatively modest 58 percent in El Salvador, while appreciation for his international stewardship is down 17 points in Brazil and 13 points in Argentina in just the past year.
Obama’s lowest regional approval is in the Middle East, where only 13 percent of Palestinians, 17 percent of Jordanians and 19 percent of Egyptians have confidence in Obama’s leadership this year. This contrasts starkly with Israel, where almost three quarters of respondents give Obama a thumbs up, a 10 point rise over the past year.
Still, although President Obama’s popularity has held up relatively well in much of the world over the past 12 months, there has been a considerable drop off since Obama took office in 2009 – his ratings have declined in 19 of 21 countries for which there is comparable data, including a 30 percentage point drop in Argentina, a 25 point fall off in Japan, a 23 point decline in Egypt and 22 point slides in Germany and Russia. Only in Israel has the public’s view of Obama improved significantly.
All this said, however much disappointment global publics may have in Barack Obama, they still prefer him to his predecessor George W. Bush. In 2008, the year he left office, a median of just 19 percent in 20 nations had confidence in Bush’s handling of world affairs, compared with 57 percent that still have confidence in Obama in those same countries.
Of course, with two and a half years remaining in office, the Obama legacy has yet to be written. But one thing is clear: He restored faith in the U.S. presidency in the eyes of many around the world. And while that impact is waning, it still remains a strong American asset abroad.
@fareedzakaria on Twitter
President Obama is popular with me – best President I've had in my 50+ years.
-Record economic growth, stock markets and 401k's.
-No foreign terrorist attacks on our soil.
-Record deficit reduction.
-Health care for 10 million 'banned' by BigOilBigPharm.
Good job Mr. President. No wonder the world applauds you. Americans? Too racist to accept a non-white.
More lies from another left-wing spinmaster. No foreign terrorist attacks on U.S. soil on his watch? I suppose you still buy the notion that the Ft. Hood shootings was "workplace violence" and the Tsarnaevs don't count because they weren't "foreign", right? Egad, you're such a tool.
They weren't foreigners.
Wow, that sure makes a difference. Let's see–neither of the muslim terrorist Tsarnaev brothers were born in the U.S. and the younger one was naturalized just 7 months before the Boston bombings. So if you want to use that as a way of saying Obama hasn't allowed any foreign terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, go ahead. I'm sure you also believe the attacks in Benghazi were sparked by an internet video, too.
Does anyone ever follow up? When someone in Kenya approves of Obama's performance, ask them which particular policies they liked. What actions has Obama taken that made them so supportive? Because there can't possibly be any other reason they like him, right?
It's easy to approves of the leader of a distant country you don't live in.
"How the world sees Obama"???? All I see here are a bunch of crappy polls, with the headline question unanswered. Why don't these news agencies actually put some feet on the ground and actually talk to people from those countries once in a while . . . . well, maybe it is because they might not like what they hear.
Have any of YOU people been polled? WHO do they poll anyway? Ive never been polled nor do i know anyone who has been so these polls mean squat!
Texas tommy – America is the best country in the world; but when many (or most) get their "facts" from cable news organizations (Fox, MSNBC, etc) – I'm not sure the American public would know one leader from the next. Aside from knowing where Canada, Mexico and Cuba are – we (me included) couldn't match country to leader. I've begun feeling as though seeing outside our borders is a blindness no one wants to see. Our educational system is falling in world ranking, with most other 1st world countries rising. Have you not heard/read that the country is falling behind in science and math? Most countries are bi-linqual from grade school with English as their primary second language; we're not all that interested in becoming bilinqual.
If the world loves him so much, they can have him!
Like all great presidents, George W. Bush put America first, and the world didn't like that. Obama put the world ahead of the U.S. and the world sings his praise.
Perhaps he can do what Slick Willie & wife are doing and make millions doing speeches in countries that love him.
Ho ho ho ... "great President George Bush".
That has to be the funniest thing anyone has ever written.
There aren't even any Republicans who think Bush wasn't the worst President of all time.
"WMDs"? Ho ho ho ... "9/1"? Ho ho ho .... Thank the Good Lord Jesus that we are lucky enough to have Obama.
Since when do you change the channel from MSNBC to listen to what republicans think? You only hear what you want to hear and think what the democrat spin machine tells you to think.
Yakobi, I think I've heard exactly what Republicans say:
Immigration Solution: "No President Obama, we don't want $4 billion to solve the crisis. Don't do anything".
Benghazi: "No President we dont need more security at the Libyan embassy, so veto 3 requests for security".
Health Care: "No President – those 50 million banned are war vets and teachers – not rich enough, so NO care".
Jobs: "No, President Obama, we don't like Americans working, so SHUT DOWN the US Government"
Syria, Russia and Iran: "Yes! Bomb Them. Bomb Them. We have $5 trillion to spend killing non-whites."
Why do you hate America so much? It it from "white guilt"? Or are you just waiting until the next republican is elected president so you can be the next internet kook caught in a sting trying commit terrorist acts because you don't like how he (or she) was running things?
Wakobi – Exactly what did sly say that says he hates America? Sounds more like the GOP hate America.
Thats their most popular comeback. "You must hate America if you do not see things the way I see them!" Everything is ok as long as the establishment remains in place (the wealthy stay wealthy and remain he most influential, white race remains the majority, Christianity remains the predominant religion, etc.) The minute anything deviates from that, then it becomes "Anti-American".
As opposed to anyone who disagrees with Obama who's then called a racist, or who disagrees with Pelosi who's then said to be engaged in a "war on women".
@Collegegrad – But Yakobi is poor. Why does he vote against his own interests? Or are they all just that stupid.
I don't think it is necessarily a rich/poor thing, its more of a "closed mind" thing. Conservatives have viewed America one way and they want it to stay that way forever (white majority/affluence, predominantly Christian, capitalist, a working class with little voice, etc). If they feel any of that is becoming threatened, then they become uncomforatble. Though they try to hide their true intentions, it is clear as day what they are really thinking..........
Lol. This is priceless.
Best laugh I've had on days.
With the sad state of affairs of the current administration, I'm not surprised.
Whoop hahahahaha! (Wipes tears of laughter away)
Total comedy gold.
You're such a GOOD widdle patwiot. (Pats head)
Put up a feasible candidate, then, Yakobi of Many Names. I'd love to vote for a great candidate that doesn't have his extremely feces-coated nose up some corporation's ass, like your idol GW Bush did
Obama and Hillary shot down a Maylasian jet and blame it on a bad chicken dinner.
George W. Bush, the Tea Party, and all republicans are to blame for the global warming which caused the clear air turbulence which in turn caused the Malaysian airliner to crash.
Says the Palin voter.
Try not to be such a left-wing reactionary. Try.
Try not voting against your own interests.
You are poor and yet support the GOP. The GOP hate the poor, old, sick, non-white, non-Christian, female, and gay people. The GOP want to gut your SS and Medicare. But go ahead. Keep voting against your own interests. It's your right to be stupid.
Nothing more that a PUPPET!!
OK GOPTards get this straight. If the Maylasian jet was actually shot down by someone. That someone is a terrorist. It doesn't matter if that terrorist shot the jet down because he watched a video, if he was mad at his wife, or because the price of milk is too high. Do you understand that?
@ Yakobi the only ones GWB put 1st was himself and Cheney!!!!!
I dont hate America but i DO hate George dumbo Bush!!!! And i hate Cheney even more!
So full of hate. So sad. Now who was out "to destroy one man", hmmm? You and your left-wing nabobs in the mainstream press.
That would be the GOP. Try to keep up.
Really? I see the democrats calling everyone who disagrees with Obama a "racist", Clarence Thomas an "uncle Tom", supporters of the Hobby Lobby decision misogynists, etc. Not to mention the inability to allow others to hold dissenting opinion. They have even gone so far as to try to stifle right-wing speech on radio, not to mention the apparent abuse of power by the IRS targeting conservative groups.
Democrats are quickly becoming the American version of the Taliban.
Yakobi – Like the old saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words". Don't you find it quite odd who the Republicans have been the most outspoken against over the past few years? President Obama, Eric Holder, and Susan Rice. Now let's see here, what do these 3 people have in common? I'm sure we all can answer that question.
Notice since John Kerry has taken over the Secretary of State position, he has faced little if any criticism from the right-wingers. The only reason Hillary has been heckled some by the right is because she is the front-runner for President in 2016. If that wasn't the case, then she too would have escaped most of the harshest criticisms that Obama, Holder and Rice have received. Although Bush was often called things like "stupid" and "arrogant", he was never referred to as lazy, incompetent, anti-American, socialist/commie, etc. like Obama has been. Many of these things suggest he is "different" from the norm, which is true if you consider his race, but as far as anything else goes, he is no different than any prior president we've had.
If you want people to stop thinking you are racist against the President and others with the same physical appearance as him, then you need to consider your treatment of them versus other "white" presidents and other administration officials you have disliked. Were they ever asked over and over again to prove they were born in the U.S.? Were they ever repeatedly called Muslim when it is clear as day that they practice Christianity? Were they ever said to be tied to former terrorists and judged by one sermon their pastor made 20 years ago? Do I need to keep going?
If you don't want to be labeled a racist, then you need to make sure your treatment of everyone is the same, regardless of skin color and if someone calls you out on it, stop saying they are just "playing the race card" to avoid owning up to it.
@Collegegrad – Nice try. But you're speaking to Yakobi here. You know. The Faux News misinformation network echo chamber. Mixed in with a bit of Hannity and Limpjaw.
Don't forget, Yakobi, my friend, that "Tolerance" is the great mantra for the dems . . . and we must believe in their great leader, Obama, who is the symbol for all that is tolerant in the world . . .tolerance for anyone except those who have a moral backbone . . . tolerance for anyone but those who disagree with them. . . and I'd put in this for Obama: he is one of the greatest Fascist leaders of all time . . . let's give him credit for that lol . . .the State (led by "tolerance") is Supreme, whatever the State (led by tolerance) says is the rule of law for everyone, the State (led by the tolerance) knows better than you how to raise your children and spend your money, the State (led by tolerance) decides what is best for all of us ... and if you happen to disagree with the State, well . . . go look up the symbol for these tolerant fascists . . . chop chop . . .
It is about being "judged by the content of one's character".
This is where most who disagree with the President, and members of his Administration, are coming from – Not racism. It is just that simple.
Being labeled racist because you have a fundamental and legitimate disagreement over policy, or one's lack of character, is a tactic of partisans. They resort to these measures in the defense of the indefensible actions of those they fanatically support.
We have come a long, long way in race relations in this country and it is criminal to recklessly use these tactics to achieve political ends. Those means in no way justify the end. Most are astute enough to discern the difference. That is one of the many reasons the majority of American's are not satisfied with this Administration – lack of character and integrity. This is why the compliant press resorted to polls outside of the country. With all of the scandals rocking the Administration it needs a good news story from somewhere. Proof is in the pudding. Those on the direct receiving end of this governance are plainly beginning to reject it – quite telling.
"In Africa, Obama maintains a strong image, with half or more of the public in all seven nations surveyed giving Obama a positive rating. He is particularly appreciated in Kenya and Tanzania, where about three quarters of those surveyed approved of his performance." GREAT! Let's send him over to be their president, and everyone will be happier!
Only the Lou tribe who are a small majority think he is king, the Kikuyus will tell they do not like him and they a a majority
It looked like the definition of the strong foreign policy handled by a US president was evolving. Not only dictated by War policy or bossy policy.
But @ Retired Military, racism and bigotry is a lack of moral character!
Chrissy: True, they clearly are. However, not everyone disagreeing with the President or his Administration is either of those things. I would argue that the vast majority of those who disagree are doing it for legitimate reasons as stated in my previous post.
Oh im sure youre right i was speaking mainly, of the racist bigots who post here. You know the ones with all the bigoted remarks about jews, muslims, towelheads, teabaggers etc! I havent much patience for all of that nastiness!
I am with you on that. I think the anonymity involved only heightens their perverted experience.
Lol probably so. And they arent using their god given brain by remembering everything on the internet stays and can be brought back at any given time. Which means it may haunt them in the future! Lol
I am a citizen of Russia. My opinion of Obama: huge incompetence in international politics. I think that within the U.S. Obama makes a lot of mistakes. Bad economy. Strong backlog from China, Russia and other developing countries.
As long as people are making their opinion based on their notions of the George Bush Presidency then Obama's numbers will be high. The concept that a strong showing for the American President in foreign countries is a good thing for America is debatable. If people are in favor of a weaker US influence on world affairs then they will approve of an American President that is less likely to become involved in matters. The question is when a Lusitania or Pearl Harbor will happen that forces the United States to become accountable again.
Mr.Obama was not hard enough on Germany, did not have the right answers on German intelligence accusations. We need a US president that knows what he is doing and works for American interests.
What we really need is a President who will take us back to an isolationist U.S. foreign policy that will keep out of places where we simply have no right to be in the first place. The current situation in the Middle East says it all!
He's a clueless wimp!
I appreciate the President for bringing the economy back from the brink of destruction. There hasn't even been a perfect president and there never will. He inherited a pile of crap and we are much better off since he became president.
How can somebody call president Obama a lame duck in his own country? Don`t you have any decency. or any respect? It`s the congress, that is a lame duch, not him. The congress says NO to all of his suggestions and don`t give money to any important projects. IT`S THE CONGRESS, THAT IS THE LAME DUC, SPECIALLY THE REPUBLICANS.
Are you familiar with how the term is used Marjatta? Presidents beginning early in their 2nd term are going to ALWAYS be described as lame ducks. It doesn't matter the president or the party in power, it's not specific to Obama. It's specific to the office. There's no longer any incentive for congress to work with a lame duck president after he's spent his political capital and will soon be out of office.
Maybe if our nation had not already spent over a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq, we would have more money to secure our boarders, increase the budget for education, improve our infrastructure, etc. I believe President Obama is doing the right thing by pulling out of Iraq, and is wisely cautious when dealing in international affairs. Of course the Tea Party types cry and whine about our deficit, all the while want to attack and invade any nation involved in a conflict. They want to increase the military budget and get into more wars, all the while our VA system is already overwhelmed.
Quite true Gil, quite true!
No Tea Party have howled for war – li@r. They simply want a President who isn't a limp-wristed empty suit who funds terrorists and incites coups in countries that don't concern him.
Oh! AND the fact that other world leaders chastise him and humiliate him in public..........like Merkel; Putin; Assad and Kim Jong!
lmao @ limp-wristed. thanks to the unfunded wars that the conservatives got us into, the US can't AFFORD a stronger policy! thanks to their endless opposition to ANYTHING the president wishes to do, even if they had previously agreed with it, they make him look ineffectual and make the US look dangerously divided and weak.
I think you are the liar! I like the way he has stayed out of everybody else's military and political problems. He's not perfect, however, I think he stands up for Israel too much. Its shameful what they are doing to the Palestinians.
SPOT ON @ Gil! And lololol @ banasy that was hillarious!
I'd love to see those published statistics you quote. As for Israel, I think your data is skewed by a poll taken by largely liberal Israeli's who see Obama as the means to a 2-state solution and peace...which as we are seeing, is not in the realm of possibility as the Palestinians are pursuing a 1-state solution!
Obama, as we all know, plays both sides and while we know about this now at home, the exported media paints a very different picture...no different than the differences between CNN International and CNN domestic. Totally different reporting of the same stories. How does that work???
Obama isn't a great President after,all. He is just passing his time. I wouldn't put him on par to Clinton or any leader before Clinton. In fact nowhere near to any of the 42 presidents. He is slightly better then Bush junior. He has destroyed his legacy. The least he could have done is peace in Middle East. He failed. He came to Muslim countries with great hypocrisy. Thus he failed. Today the Middle East is burning. Palesgtinians are murdered in Gaza and he sits tight. What a hypocrite leader.
"The least he could have done is peace in Middle East" ... Yea, Obama should have at least ended war in the part of the world that's been fighting for the past 2000 years. So lazy of him.
Obama was out of the Oval office fundraising and golfing........................nobody realized he wasn't there for 10 days! LOL
THAT'S how effective the empty suit is!
If he'd been out of the Oval Office for even longer, it would remind me of Baby Bush.
You need to get a life and address your hate issues.
Picking on petty issues is all you can come up with. What a loser!
To quote someone on this thread: "Now please – tell me SPECIFICALLY what you would do differently in each situation in which you disagree with the president? Tell me exactly what you would do differently?"
Your childish, hateful remarks sound STOOPID! I guess it's because you are thinking like most of your Stupid Republicans who have dark hearts and souls. Remember Governor Jhindal of Louisiana who brought it up: Stop being the Party of Stuid Republicans!. Well you are proving that you guys don't take helpful advice. Tsk, tsk, tsk. It figures.......
The least he could have done was end war in the middle east?
Now that is funny. Yeah, that war is clearly his fault. Everything was roses there before Obama, he really screwed that one up.
How the world sees Obama? LOL
The world doesn't have to live in the U.S., but I do.
The world sees Obama as a temporary itch it can't scratch. It'll soon be 2016 and the scourge on America will be gone!
But you wait! The terminally brainless Yanks will vote ANOTHER dead-in-the -water NOVELTY president like Hillary – the female version of Obama who wants to invade IRAN.........then it'll all start again!
Easy to see why America is rated a dire #29 in world education! The majority [Obama voters are as thick as 2 short planks
Get Over Yourself: You sound like a Brit. Your quote- "The majority [Obama voters are as thick as 2 short planks"
That's a subjective opinion coming from an overseas Yahoo, who knows Nothing about Obama, but just because you probably watch FOX in England you are stoopidly being brainwashed, and it shows. STFU (know what I mean?) Probably not. Iv'e seen your rantings and vile comments....None of them make any sense, but hate filled vitriol is all you spout. Shows what level of the socio-economic, intelligencia world you emanate from
The US ranks that low in k-12 education Einstein. In higher education the US still has some of the world's best universities. Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. If you had read the article then it would seem to contradict your assessment of world opinion. As for Hillary, let's hope you are right and she does get elected.
P-51 Mustang Red Tail the Brits are Americas little lap dogs and play the same "spin" your American politicians try to instill around the world. Just keep out of other countries politics.
Then leave.
The mainstream media lies about everything, but especially Obama. He lies. They back him up. Why should we believe anything they have to say about this fraud. There's something wrong with a president who refuses to visit the chaos that is happening in the same state in which he is a) drinking beer with the guys, b)shooting pool with the guys and c) collecting huge amounts of money to give to the Democrats.
I thought a president was supposed to be a leader of ALL Americans. But in Obama's case that is not true. We're not as stupid as the press seems to think we are. We don't have to read the papers to know what's going on. We can see what's happening before our eyes. I agree with Peppercorn: the world doesn't have to live in the U.S, we do. Well said.
Bravo Jennie! I'm a Brit and I despise Liberals. I hate what this Obama creature has done to a once great country
The only hope for America after this train wreck is a Republican.......or Elmer Fudd .........or Yosemite Sam.........ANYONE but Obama, or another double standard, hypocritical Liberal like Ms Clinton
Sadly, Ms. Clinton is about the best we can expect. Look at our Republicans. Rick bloody Perry?
There's something wrong with a commander-in-chief (Barack Obama) who is not in the Situation Room while Americans are being murdered on foreign soil, then going to a fundraiser in Las Vegas the very next day, instead of staying in Washington and conferring with his cabinet and military officials.
There's something wrong with a president (Barack Obama) who continues to blame a video for the terrorist attack on the consulate in Benghazi weeks after the tragedy in his speech to the UN.
There's something wrong with a media for refusing to call him out on anything he does, even when they know he's wrong. He can't do anything wrong in their eyes. That's why we don't believe them. They insult our intelligence every day in every way. They cannot be trusted to tell the American people the truth.
Read what Thomas Jefferson said about an informed nation. He said, " If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
We must search out the truth for ourselves. Don't rely on the liberal, progressive media to do it. They have become the 4th branch of government and are almost as powerful as they are.
When people are getting big pay-offs to toe the "party line" their ethics and patriotism disappear in a puff of smoke.
Money certainly TALKS!
Theyre powerful because they were elected into office by the majority of Americans rather than the Republicans.
Your hype is based in hate. He's evacuated multiple embassies, even recently. Libya, Yemen. Of course he's made mistakes, like every president. We recently regained all the jobs lost in the financial crisis. The economy is improving and people are raising the minimum wage which means more money will be spent by Americans. hes provided health care to 13 million Americans, to give them a better quality of life. He's required that corporations cut their carbon emmissions by 30 percent by 2050 so that our children will get a better future and wont inherit a planet of haze and waste. He ordered the attack that killed Osama BL. He pulled us out of Iraq. He avoided war with Russia and Syria. He's attempted many things but Republicans block any legislation that comes from Democrats. That isnt a blame game, its a fact. Republicans have even admitted to NOT reading legislation before they block it, they dont even know what it contains. Its a strategy in which they block all his legislation, and then accuse him of doing nothing about the nations problems. But heres the contradiction coming from Republicans, they harass him for "doing nothing" and insult him day and night, yet John Boehner is suing him for overstepping his authority as president... Fox News has manufactured four or five insults, or "talking points" that they default to over and over again rather than offering any type of solution and they play it on repeat over and over and over until people like you go around the internet spreading it and breeding a divide. Like I said, no president is perfect – and the pattern has been that in the second term – popularity falls dramatically. But the solution is not with Republicans, they're more concerned with slandering Obama than cooperating and working towards a solution. This is a sad state of affairs. Its not Obama that will destroy this nation, its the hate coming from Republicans towards other Americans and the division that they are manufacturing that will destroy this country.
Now please – tell me SPECIFICALLY what you would do differently in each situation in which you disagree with the president? Tell me exactly what you would do differently?
Could not have said it any better!
Liberal media = government controlled Pravda
The main reason why in no way "Independence" is to be granted to the Palestenians, so that Israelis can any time enter to their land and kill them mercilessly like as what is happening now.
Not to mention the thousands of rockets fired from Gaza to Israel each and every day...and not to mention the large number of secret tunnels dug by Palestinians into Israel so Gazans can kidnap or kill Israelis at will. This entire situation between Israel and Palestine could be halted immediately if Hamas and other Gazans learned the meaning of peace and stopped focusing on death and destruction of the Israelis.
There's one thing that I loathe – it's a D!mw!t who mindlessly spouts propaganda without a fact to his name!
[1] Palestine REFUSED Statehood in 1948 "Till every Jew is pushed into the sea."
[2] Palestine REFUSED Statehood in 1967 and chose to back the PLO and kill Israelis
[3] Palestine RFUSED Statehood in 1999 – Arafat threw the offer back in Clinton ' Baraks faces
[4] Palestine REFUSED independent Statehood in 2005when Sharon turned Gaza over to them /opened the border and offered peace
[5] Palestine REFUSED to accept Israel's off of peace when he GAVE Abbas the keys to the West Bank in exchange for peace talks. Abbas took the keys ....... then refused to talk.
Israel has no PROBLEM with peace........the FACTS say that Palestine has!
Addition – number [5] was in 2011.
The world and USA see's him as the dumbest man of our time. "STUPID" and big joke clown running this country
If the Republicans would immediately stop their incessant bad-mouthing of Obama and start being effective legislators, and working together with the Democrats, the USA could regain their past favourable status with the world communities. Republicans have denigrated the status of the US before the entire world...and they have done it to themselves. There is not one of them who can stand tall and instill hope and security in the minds of fellow Americans, let alone world communities.
Obama stands tall above all the Republican legislators simply because he acts with his brain and the Republicans act with their mouths.
Karen are you really serious here? Obama is widely considered to be the most incompetent leader since Jimmy Carter, and if you were alive at the time you will recall it took years for the United States to recover from his "leadership". Unless he is impeached we are stuck with him for another 2 1/2 years, we can only hope that his inability to achieve bipartisan consensus for his agenda will limit the damage he does.
Karen – sorry, but you sound like a lovesick adolescent! Obama told the Republicans at his FIRST meeting with Congress as President "I won – YOU go sit in the back seats.!"That's a PRESIDENT!?!?
If the Republicans hadn't blocked this incompetent – America would now be in a DEPRESSION – not just a recession! Silly woman.
Absolutely right!
Europe are cool with Obama about Russian sanctions because they know damn well that he and his administration arranged the coup in Ukraine and started this whole mess.
He's jeopardizing Europe's supplies of oil and natural gas! Just in time for WINTER! Stupid man.
These weak-minded objections to Obama are fueled by racism. It's true, though many now will respond that this is not the case. The majority of these characterizations come from white males. I am a white male; the difference is that I am not insecure nor ignorant. History will note that Obama saved us from another Depression; he got us out of a stupid war that was initiated by a psychopathic vice-president and a very weak president–Bush of course.
what an ignorant comment! How racist of you to assume any non-white who doesn't like or agree with Obama is racist (and I yes you can be racist against white despite being one!) Liking Obama because he is is black is just as racist, wonder if you target those people. I don't agree with his politics, but thank god I am a BLACK FEMALE (or else you'd call me racist) ..... but my white husband will undoubtedly classified a "racist" by you and bigots like you. Accept the fact that to many (not all, but many) Obama's skin is IRRELEVANT, how else did he get elected! Clinton, Bush and Obama are clueless buffoons!
So, if we disagree with Obama, we're racist? I guess you mean that every person that has an issues with Obama is a big scary monster fueled with hate coming to take your babies.
Isn't it just little bizarre that at this late date the author still does not hold Obama totally accountable on his own by throwing in comparisons to Bush?
Being paid big bucks to whitewash this train wreck of a president tends to kill ethical journalism!
im canadian and really dont hear to much positive about him, Seems more interested in tv interviews and photo ops than fixing things in the US. The border crisis is just the latest thing