I love how President Obama is helping our American image improve throughout the world!

[MoonRiver]

I spent 8 hideous years, traveling yearly to a foreign country, being considered a pariah, and having to distance myself from my government. Now, I can hold my head up high when we travel overseas. President Obama has totally changed the perception of America and Americans for the better.
:patriot:

[WillieW]

1. I totally agree with you. Europe changed its perception of America.

[MoonRiver]

3. It's like old times, meaning 9 years ago.

Weird, it feels like two lifetimes!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. You can not be serious...they changed their view of our Government, not the people

Attitudes do not change on election night.

[MoonRiver]

11. I do think they wondered how we could "elect" bush for 2 terms.

They never really understood how the election(s) were stolen. When you would try to explain it, they just didn't think that kind of thing could happen here. WRONG.

[Deja Q]

2. W00t!

[BlooInBloo]

4. lol! Testing how a pro-Obama thread will make it to the Greatest?

[Mrs. Overall]

7. Exactly!!

[cherokeeprogressive]

5. He did all that in only 179 days?

Wow. How badly could they have seen us if it only took 179 days to TOTALLY change the perception of America and Americans?

[MoonRiver]

6. I think the world was desperate for an Obama to revive normal relationships.

Thank God it happened!

[drmeow]

8. I think he did it in one day

Jan. 20th :)

[MoonRiver]

9. Me too!

:applause:

[goclark]

24. Me three

[madokie]

34. me four

[Arugula Latte]

17. I disagree.

I think it was November 4, 2008.

:)

[drmeow]

23. Oops,

my bad. You're right

[cherokeeprogressive]

19. What could a man do, in ONE DAY, that would change the way THE WORLD saw a COUNTRY?

please.

[drmeow]

25. Hope

Actually, it was election day and the US went from "How could 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?" to a feel there was hope for America.

I'm not saying it made everything better - but it really changed the way people saw/see us.

[treestar]

37. I agree, it was that we elected him instead of McDrain/Failin

But the President has helped that along considerably with his speeches, the things he has said, and his demeanor.

Any time he is with foreign leaders they look happy - the ones that go back far enough that they had to meet Bush look so relieved.

[drmeow]

38. Also true n/t

[MoonRiver]

39. Get elected?

I think that's all it took, after the nightmare regime he followed.

[cherokeeprogressive]

22. IN ONE DAY

The world forgave the United States for invading and occupying a country that wasn't responsible for any harm to American Citizens.

The Afghanis welcomed us into their country because they wanted to be rid of the Taliban as much as we wanted them to be rid of it.

The Pakistanis welcomed our drones when they killed large groups of people simply because they were celebrating a wedding, or following a funeral procession.

The Europeans changed their minds about whether or not they wanted their currency to be tied to the American Dollar.

The world forgave the United States for all the bullshit that it perpetrated in South America over a period of THIRTY FUCKING YEARS

Um, yeah. How thick are the gates that keep people out of the world YOU live in?

[drmeow]

26. The original post said

"President Obama has totally changed the perception of America and Americans for the better."

NOT - that the world forgave us everything - and I never said that either. The very fact that we elected a man that the rest of the world respected (or could respect) exponentially more than Bush changed their perceptions of American and American's for the better.

[cherokeeprogressive]

27. lol. 'kay. Rah Rah Siss Boom Bah!

In the meantime, Americans die in terrorist incidents around the world...

[drmeow]

28. Whatever

goodbye. Life isn't worth paying attention to someone like you.

[cherokeeprogressive]

29. I find it strange that everyone who's disagreed with me on this point has said the same thing.

Goodnight, Irene.

[goclark]

36. Interesting ~ I agree nt

[FrenchieCat]

12. I think it was very bad, and it did a 180 in 179.

and IT IS Change you can believe in....

because now we see real movement, not just perception on how this one man (and those who voted for him) has been able to make a difference thus far.

If one looks at each country that Obama has visited or addressed in a specific way, relations are improving and Obama is the one they trust....not so much the American people....just yet.

And example-
Russian relations?
before:
Are US-Russian relations headed for another 'cold war'?
http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/50611.page;jsessionid=B9944E2C523802F2B294E2B76EE6AC16

after: An Agenda for U.S.-Russian Relations in 2009
http://www.brookings.edu/testimony/2009/0225_russia_pifer.aspx

You could do this with each country and get the same kind of info.


as opposed to how they felt when Bush was in office, that both Bush and Americans were
seen as the problem,

so it appears that the Obama effect is working...

in 2007, only 29% believed that America was having mainly a positive influence on the world
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/23_01_07_us_poll.pdf


Though Obama Viewed Positively, Still Much Criticism of US Foreign Policy: Global Poll
Asked whether they have confidence in Barack Obama to “do the right thing regarding world affairs,” for all nations (excluding the US) an average of 61 percent say they have some or a lot of confidence.
http://blogstats.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/though-obama-viewed-positively-still-much-criticism-of-us-foreign-policy-global-poll/

[MoonRiver]

13. Overall, this translates into better relationships, and security, here and abroad.

win-win :kick:

[cherokeeprogressive]

20. 179 days. America is suddenly once again the "go to" country.

Why doesn't that seem strange coming from the head cheerleader?

[Vickers]

30. He did it in *less* than 3 months.

I travel overseas at least once or twice a year, and I noticed a considerable difference when I was in Germany/Luxembourg/France/Belgium in March and April of this year (compared to the last couple of years).

I don't expect you to believe me, but I don't give a fuck...seems like you have your mind (ahem) made up already.

:rofl:

And I don't lay the blame reasons totally on Obama, but rather the world at large sees that collectively we have not elected some stupid fuck to run things.

[cherokeeprogressive]

31. Apologies. You're so much better traveled than I. Or so you assume.

If the "world at large" is suddenly in the lap of the United States, I'm sorry but they haven't been paying attention, no matter WHO THE FUCK WE ELECTED.

Try telling me what has changed in the context of foreign policy, smarty pants...? Would you say that we now only target funeral processions and weddings in Afghanistan with our drones that are attended by fewer than X number of people? Is there an age limit that DRONES stay away from?

We didn't elect a "stupid fuck". That much is true. We didn't elect a true progressive who would bring troops home NOW and stop using offensive weapons and tactics against innocent women and children in an attempt to kill bad guys either.

[Vickers]

32. Apology accepted.

As for the rest of it, it seems that you assign positions to me that I haven't taken *cough* strawman *coughcough*.

But hey, you knew that.

I reckon you just might be one of those doe-eyed dumbfucks who thinks Kucinich or (even more hilarious) Nader will bring us back from the brink...keep dreaming, sugarbottom, it ain't gonna happen that way.

:hug:

[MoonRiver]

33. We were recently in Canada, and it was like the entire country was sighing

a collective breath of relief.

It was so bad before this election that, when we went overseas, we actually told people we were Canadians to avoid the hate.

[malaise]

14. Then he'd better get out of Iraq and Afghanistan

and you might want to read the Brits recent comments on Afghanistan.

[Mari333]

15. +100

[shadowknows69]

18. +101

Fucking band aids on an arterial wound.

[timeforpeace]

16. I travel to foreign countries a lot, and my self-image is much better now. Less cringing for sure.

[Odin2005]

21. Interesting point: Obama is the fist black leader of a Western democracy.

Only in America!!! :woohoo:

[superduperfarleft]

35. Have you visited Afghanistan recently? n/t