-
President Obama's appeal greater overseas?
President Barack Obama bows as he is greeted by Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on Saturday in Tokyo. (Photo: AP)
We scrutinize his falling poll numbers, not to mention his every move. They turn out in droves to cheer him on. Is there more love for President Barack Obama overseas?
“It’s two different worlds,” said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. “The president abroad is seen almost as a heroic figure, and here he comes back to a kind of tense political atmosphere and has difficulty getting through legislation.”
No doubt Obama is respected in the U.S., but not by everyone. Former Vice President Dick Cheney pounced Tuesday, calling Obama’s deep bow Saturday before Japanese Emperor Akihito a “sign of weakness.” Supporters said Obama likely meant it as a sign of respect.
“To Americans, the bow showed too much humility. Americans would have been happy with a handshake, equal footing,” said Steven Clemons, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation.
Overseas reverence of Obama is fractured among the regions just as it is among U.S. political parties.
Japan, China and other Asian countries — which were satisfied with the policies of Obama predecessor George W. Bush — are reserved about Obama, while African countries have ecstatically welcomed him, said Reihan Salam, author of “Grand New Party” and a New America Foundation fellow. The president enjoys steady support in Europe as well, Salam said.
The Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to Obama in October, was a symbol of the president’s global appeal.
“Certainly, some people are still really, really, really excited and they’ll never be cured of that, regardless of what happens,” Salam said. “But internationally, just as domestically, there’s been some disappointment.”
Some New Yorkers on Tuesday shared Salam’s sentiment that Obama’s allure overseas may not endure.
“It says something about our culture. People overseas see him as a new hope for the world because most people see America as the leader of the world,” said Max Wilison, 37, of the Bronx. “That said, those opinions may soon change.”
Courtney Crowder contributed to this story.
*****
Barack Obama isn’t the only U.S. president to spark a flap over behavior with foreign leaders. Here are a few others:
1959: Dwight Eisenhower bows to French President Charles de Gaulle.
1971: Richard Nixon bows to Japanese Emperor Hirohito.
1992: George H.W. Bush vomits into the lap of Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa, then faints.
2005: George W. Bush kisses and then holds hands with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.
2006: The younger Bush gives German Chancellor Angela Merkel a quick shoulder rub.
April 2009: Obama bows to the Saudi king.(Emily Ngo)
Tags: President Barack Obama, Asia, diplomacy, President George W. Bush, New America Foundation
-
Eight years of Dubya: From the recount to Iraq
It seems few Americans are sad to see Dubya go.
President George W. Bush’s approval rating hovers at 34 percent — the lowest rate since Richard Nixon’s presidency. Experts, however, warn against “misunderestimating” how he’ll be remembered.
“History may cut him some slack,” said political analyst Costas Panagopoulos, director of Fordham University’s Center for Electoral Politics and Democracy. “Bush faced completely different challenges than other presidents.”
In his farewell address, Bush said he “acted with the best interests of our country in mind,” and few experts dispute this. “He was a very idealistic guy who took up big issues, and sometimes the ideas were too big for him,” said Carl Cannon, co-author of “Reagan’s Disciple: George W. Bush’s Troubled Quest for a Presidential Legacy,” “but his heart was in the right place.”
Here’s a look at eight years of events that may shape the Bush legacy, for better or worse:
The Florida recount
In 2000, the former Texas governor squeaked past Democratic rival Al Gore, winning Florida and the presidency in a controversial blur of butterfly ballots.No Child Left Behind
Bush’s ambitious effort to hold schools accountable earned bipartisan nods. “He got Republicans in the game on it,” Cannon said. “Education became a federal issue, not just a state and local issue.”
9/11
After an unprecedented terror attack in 2001, Bush urged confidence in the country’s security and briefly revitalized its economy. “He finds his footing as a wartime president,” Cannon said, “then he rallies the country in a way it needs to be rallied.”
The Patriot Act
The act challenged civil liberties and allegedly paved the way for warrantless wiretapping. Vice President Dick Cheney said it has helped to keep the U.S. safe, and “even Bush’s worst detractors will tell you that it’s possible that statement is true,” said Cannon, the Washington bureau chief for Reader’s Digest.
The war in Iraq
The U.S. invades Iraq in 2003 and overthrows dictator Saddam Hussein, but the failure to find WMDs sets off a deep unpopularity for the war. Further hurting Bush’s case: More than 4,200 U.S. soldiers have died and the occupation continues.
Hurricane Katrina
FEMA’s inadequate response to the 2005 storm is among the factors blamed in 1,800-plus deaths in New Orleans and beyond. “We essentially lost a major United States city in the modern era,” said political analyst and “Party Crashing” author Keli Goff.
The faltering economy
The Bush administration’s tax cuts and unbridled spending likely lent a hand to the $1.2 trillion federal deficit. “His policies were more favorable to upper-income level Americans than the middle class,” Panagopoulos said. “He has increased the income inequality in this country.”
Tags: president george w. bush, iraq, politics
