Remember how President Obama was supposed to be a transformational figure, bringing new love and respect for America from Europeans, the Middle East and the whole world?
That promise, like so many others, has faded away. In fact, a new poll in Germany shows that the United States is as unpopular today as it was when George W. Bush was president. The story is in German, but the chart needs to translation. Support for President Obama has plummeted. Only four-in-ten Germans are satisfied with the job he is doing, and only one-third (35 percent) believe Americans is a reliable partner.
Undoubtedly, much of this is being driven by the recent revelation that the US has been spying on Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel. Yet more is going on here. Like Americans, the rest of the world is waking up to the depressing reality that the President is much more interested in giving speeches than following through.