German frustration with Obama

[ekrem]

Unfortunate.
Obama's unsuccessful presidency.

Obama's personal popularity has always exceeded German support for America. And today only half the Germans (52 percent) have a favorable view of the United States, down 10 percentage points since just last year and 12 points since Obama was elected. Among the eight European nations surveyed, only in Greece (35 percent) is pro-American sentiment weaker. And German views of the United States divide along generational lines. Germans 50 years of age and older are now far less pro-American (49 percent) than Germans ages 18 to 29 (61 percent). But overall German support for the United States is still far greater than in 2007, when only 30 percent of Germans had a positive view of the US.

Germans also don't see America as an economic superpower. In 2008, only 30 percent of Germans named China as the world's leading economic player. Now 62 percent do, while only 13 percent say the U.S. plays that role. No other Europeans judge American economic prowess so harshly.

This decline in support for the United States is closely linked to Germans' critical views of Obama's handling of particular international concerns. Strong majorities of Germans who think Obama takes into account the interests of countries like Germany when formulating his foreign policy also have a favorable view of America. Those who think Washington acts unilaterally look unfavorably on the US. Similarly, those who disapprove of Obama's handling of the global economic crisis or think he has dealt unfairly with the Israelis and Palestinians hold a negative view of America.

And one of the signature Obama security policy initiatives -- drone strikes targeting extremist leaders and groups in nations such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia -- have drawn German criticism. Fifty-nine percent of Germans disapprove of such actions, about the median for Europe. As might be expected, only 29 percent of Germans on the left of the political spectrum back drone attacks, while 41 percent of people on the right support them. The strongest approval comes from those who self-identify as political centrists (45 percent).

SPIEGEL ONLINE

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Germans miss the times America had a real President, like Dubya

 

[Warrior102]

Germans miss the times America had a real President, like Dubya

Or Reagan

 

[Swagger]

Germans miss the times America had a real President, like Dubya

So do the British. Bush knew who his friends were, and so did we.

 

[California Girl]

It's not just Germans who are falling out of love with the O. The global love affair with St Barak is on the wane.

Obama's global popularity wanes - The Irish Times - Wed, Jun 13, 2012

Hopes that Washington would prove more internationalist, seek UN approval for military action and be more even-handed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been dashed. Foreigners also feel let down by Mr Obama’s inertia on climate change.

Oops.

 

[tigerbob]

It's not just Germans who are falling out of love with the O. The global love affair with St Barak is on the wane.

Obama's global popularity wanes - The Irish Times - Wed, Jun 13, 2012

Hopes that Washington would prove more internationalist, seek UN approval for military action and be more even-handed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been dashed. Foreigners also feel let down by Mr Obama’s inertia on climate change.

Oops.

And yes, in the penultimate paragraph....

Large majorities in Europe would like to see him re-elected, led by 92 per cent of those polled in France.

I remember about 6 years ago a lot of the Americans I knew wanted Blair re-elected. I couldn't understand why. Better than Brown though.

 

[ekrem]

Germans miss the times America had a real President, like Dubya

89% of Germans (respondents from same Pew poll) want Obama re-elected.
But his popularity has decreased after they realized, that he's no Messias coming to bring world-peace, but a politician (bullshit-talker).

There's frustration (too much expactations) but the Mormon they like even less.

 

[ekrem]

US Preseident Elections: Whom would you vote for?

Ergebnisse des DeutschlandTrend vom September 2012 | tagesschau.de

 

[mememe]

Germans miss the times America had a real President, like Dubya

So do the British. Bush knew who his friends were, and so did we.

"We"?

Is that why British called Tony a US lap-dog? Ever heard British say "US and UK have "speshul" relationship" -- putting a very particular meaning into it?

In the past decade anti-American sentiment in Britain has grown.