Obama popular abroad where it really counts: New Core pillars
Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 12:04AM 
NYT story on global poll (Pew) that indicates Obama is popular abroad, with a particular strength in New Core pillars like Russia and China but a growing weakness in the Middle East.
Frankly, this is more than enough improvement in US standing abroad. Given what is going on in the Middle East and will continue to go on there for years as globalization's embrace deepens, we will never be popular there because of our bodyguarding role (to include our support for Israel).
But it's absolutely crucial that the image-mending and bridge-building continue with the rising great powers--China especially as its own arrogance and hubris balloons in coming years (an inevitable cost of all that success). I know it's not easy to play the humble card right now, but it will pay off over time in ways that our own past assertiveness never could.
So no complaints on this score.
I continue to give Obama high grades on the realignment--my theme in "Great Powers." I nonetheless remain ambivalent if we need 4 or 8 years of this. His success works against a second term, in my mind, even as I appreciate it greatly.
Reader Comments (4)
I'm curious what the downside of a second Obama term would be in your calculation?
You wrote:
"the basic thesis is that as Americans become more religious over time, they nonetheless know less about their faiths. So we believe more intensely even as we observe less and understand less."
What evidence is there that America is growing more religious, let alone more intensely religious? Do you mean the baby-boomers, as they age?
<http://www.mndaily.com/2009/04/05/religion-decline-across-america>
Tom,
Why does recognizing and aligning with emerging core powers require Obama's antipathy to American exceptionalism? As Russia and China join the core, how much do you anticipate the core rule set to change, and is it an improvement?
Obama's antipathy to American exceptionalism, so called, is not in evidence.